Hallucinations
by klarophant
Summary: CANON/AU The Salvatore brothers find themselves scouring the streets of NOLA for a certain original hybrid. Meanwhile a new leader takes up Tripp's place, the Original family finds themselves confronted with an even bigger problem than Hope's safety, Bonnie struggles to find a way out, and old family history resurfaces, threatening the survival of our favorite TVD characters. (KxC)
1. Chapter 1 Fat Chance

**Chapter I: Fat Chance**

She couldn't remember anything, just the cold wind air that rushed through her blonde locks as the woods blurred past her.

It was night-time and darkness should've devoured the light, but the full moon illuminated the sky and howls filled the air. Arms protectively wrapped around her back and legs, keeping her body off the ground. Her head laid limp over the hands that held her as she weakly clung to her rescuer.

_Where was she?_

"Come on, Caroline, stay with me now," Stefan said. His voice was calm as always, but his eyes revealed his panic.

Caroline looked up at him in a daze.

_Why was she being carried? Why were they in the woods? What happened? _

An array of questions bombarded her heavy mind. There was an unfamiliar scent that clouded these woods, an aroma she wasn't accustomed to, a pungent stench of lake water and pine trees filling up her senses.

They were definitely not in Mystic Falls.

_So where were they then?_

Caroline could feel herself fading again, fatigue taking its toll.

"Caroline? Caroline!"

Stefan frantically looked back down at her.

Her eyes slowly shut and she knew she was going to black out again, but before she could lose consciousness, there were only two things Caroline could remember: Stefan holding her tighter as he sped faster through the winding trees and the agonizing pain of an all too familiar feeling...

A werewolf bite.

**Four hours before…**

"Where are we?" asked the blonde walking closely behind her friend.

"The bayou, it's about four hours from where we're heading," the light brown-haired man replied.

"Well, it stinks and it's disgusting," she said, her boots sinking into the moist ground. She sighed, lifting her shoe to inspect the mucky stain on its heel.

_Damn it, these boots were new too…_

When she imagined finally leaving Mystic Falls, she thought of traveling the world, going to Rome, or Paris, or Tokyo... But hiking through a swamp was definitely not on her list of touristy places to go. The air was thick from the day's heat and the humidity only made it worse. But the sun was finally setting, its rays slowly immersing into the horizon of pinks and purples.

"We need to feed before we head to New Orleans, we only have a few blood bags left and we can't afford to waste them if we're going survive this trip."

"I know," Caroline groaned. "But a couple of rabbits are hardly a meal and more like a mass murder of Bugs Bunnies, Stefan."

"Very funny," Stefan said sarcastically. "And that's precisely why we're still hunting."

Caroline rolled her eyes.

They had been hunting for hours now and they had barely caught anything. Soon the sun would go down and there would no longer be any light. Not that that was a problem or anything. Just one of the many perks that came with being a vampire: keen vision.

Caroline looked up to the sky.

The moon would take its place atop the sky soon enough. It was going to be a full moon tonight; they both knew that. It left them at the mercy of any possible werewolf attacks, and although Tyler had informed them that the bayou was completely scarce of any werewolves, it brought little to no relief to Caroline who knew the unforgiving sting of their venom. What Tyler didn't tell them was that it was scarce of any life in general. Caroline made a note to herself to yell at Tyler later for not giving them the heads up for the lack of food, and maybe guilt him into getting her a new pair of boots as a compromise.

"You know, you did have the option of staying at Whitmore with Elena. Damon could've came with me instead," said Stefan.

"Yeah, and leave you to face Klaus alone," she scoffed. "Fat chance."

She covered her mouth in embarrassment.

_Dejavu_.

At first she didn't understand why she was so embarrassed, but then she regrettably remembered.

She cursed under her breath.

She definitely did not just reuse something she had said to the Klaus before. Fortunately, Stefan didn't notice her sudden change of mood, but instead, kept walking ahead. Realizing her hand was still covering her mouth, she jammed her hands in her pockets and continued to follow after him.

_Why was she embarrassed? _

It's not like she had done anything. She had just said something vaguely similar to a conversation she once had with the damned hybrid, a conversation that had turned into an argument about…

_What was it again? Oh yeah_.

…the "allure of darkness".

_**So you've never felt the attraction that comes when someone who is capable of doing terrible things for some reason, cares only about you?**_

Caroline shook her head annoyed.

_Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. _

She had only agreed to tag along because she wanted to help Elena regain her memories. In most circumstances Caroline would never agree to help Damon win Elena back, it's not like he deserved her anyways. Stefan would always be Elena's epic love in her eyes.

But Elena hadn't been the same since she asked Alaric to compel her to forget about her feelings for Damon, and as much as she wanted to barf at the thought of them being together again, she couldn't help but agree that Elena wasn't the same without those memories. It just seemed… wrong.

Damon suggested that Klaus would probably be willing to compel Elena back her memories if there was a certain blonde there to _persuade_ him. Once again she had to play the little blonde distraction for the gang. Typical.

But Caroline wasn't sure she was ready to face him, not after their last encounter in the woo-

"Caroline?"

Stefan turned to look at her.

"Uh, yeah," she replied quickly. She could feel the heat radiating off her cheeks.

"You didn't answer my question."

"About what?"

"Why didn't you just contact Klaus? You have his number don't you?"

Caroline looked away from his gaze.

"Weren't you the one who called him at our graduation?"

She frowned.

_Technically_ he didn't answer her calls that day. He ignored her calls all day only to show up conveniently at the nick of time to save her and her friends_. _

Always has to have an entrance.

She could only imagine him laughing to himself after listening to the numerous voice mails she had sent him. Oh how she wished she could delete those messages, but he insisted he keep them for future blackmail.

She could feel her face growing hotter.

"Um, he didn't answer," she replied.

That was a lie.

Stefan looked at her questionably. "Oh."

She didn't even bother calling him for help. She may have thought about it once or twice, but every time she had picked up her phone, she couldn't bring herself to call him.

Although she had succumbed to the handsome hybrid's _allure_, she still wasn't ready to admit to herself that there was definitely something more there. It was hard enough to confess that they even had a connection in the first place.

But by now, he was probably off ruling his kingdom in New Orleans doing who knows what, with who knows who, without her. She had no idea what his whereabouts were, but she veered away from such thoughts since it always seemed to give her an unsettling reminder that he was moving on.

Caroline continued to ponder on her thoughts when she suddenly bumped into Stefan. She took a step back and observed the surrounding area confused.

It was dark now and the moon was settled in the sky. But she could see nothing in sight. She leaned over Stefan's shoulder.

"What's wrong?" she whispered.

"Shh," he said lifting his index finger.

They both listened in silence, but all they could hear were the crickets that chirped by the lake and coos of the owls that sat atop the trees.

_Craaack._

The slow crunch of leaves and twigs echoed in the distance. They quickly turned their attention towards the direction the sound came from. The rustling steps became louder and louder, but each coming from different directions. They moved to a clearing, standing back-to-back as Stefan and Caroline whipped their heads side-to-side waiting for the inevitable. Finally, the shadowed figure of a beast stepped into view, the moon revealing its fiery gold eyes.

The werewolf's chest heaved gusts of air as it let out a low growl.

It was just one werewolf, but Caroline knew the consequences of just one bite. The thought made her shiver.

Three more wolves appeared from behind, then two more, then five, until they were completely surrounded. Ambush.

Stefan and Caroline took a step back.

The wolves circled around them, each one waiting for their chance to pounce. They were clearly outnumbered.

Stefan grabbed Caroline's arm to make a run for it, but the wolves snarled revealing their sharp fangs. Caroline's heart started to beat faster, her eyes flashing to each wolf, anticipating which one would attack first.

Neither of them turned to look at each other.

"Caroline," Stefan said in a low voice.

"Yes, Stefan," she said in a shaky voice.

"I need you to listen to me carefully, alright?"

"I'm a little busy right now."

"I'll stay behind and fight them off while you make a run for the car."

Caroline's eyes grew wide, but she refused to turn and face him.

"Are you crazy? Now is not the time to play the hero, Stefan! I am not leaving you with a pack of wolves!"

"Caroline, I'll be fine, just run back to the car and head to New Orleans and find Klaus."

"Seriously?" She angrily turned to face him and said, "I refuse to lea–"

Suddenly one of the wolves leapt at Caroline and tackled her to the ground.

"Caroline!" Stefan turned.

She shrieked as its claws ripped at her shirt. Instinctively, she grabbed its neck with both hands, keeping its canines from gnawing off her face. Stefan went to pull the beast off her until two wolves went to attack him.

For a second, Caroline was completely consumed with terror as she tried to hold the wolf back. Each time the wolf snapped at her, she tightened her grip. Finally gathering her senses, she managed to twist her hands just enough to snap the its neck. Its body drooped in her arms and fell over her. Pushing it aside, she got up to help Stefan.

Stefan ruthlessly kicked a wolf against a tree, its spine cracking. Breaking off a branch he impaled the other in the ribcage, digging it deeper into its abdomen before roughly pulling it out.

Caroline did the same, grabbing a stray branch she prodded at the wolves that surrounded her, each one trying to bite her legs. One wolf grasped the other end of the branch with its mouth and tried to yank it away, but rather than pulling herself into a battle of tug-of-war, Caroline dragged its body closer. She lifted it off the ground and spun in a circle until it crashed into the others. The wolves were sent flying back, fumbling to get up.

Moving next to Stefan, she jabbed at the wolves trying to shove them back. Another wolf charged at her. She positioned her weapon to pierce its heart, but it deflected her movements and shook its head viciously, wrenching the branch away from her grasp. The wolf hungrily grinned at her, saliva dripping from its mouth as it snapped the branch in half.

The beast lunged at her.

Using her arm, she plunged it into the wolf's chest, wrapping her fingers around its pulsing heart, before ripping it out. The wolf yelped. Blood seeped down her arm as she held the heart in her fist. As she threw its body to the side, she saw a wolf moving behind to attack Stefan.

Caroline screamed, "Stefan, watch out!"

She swiftly pushed him away just as the wolf was about to bite. She felt its sharp fangs pierce her flesh and she cried out in pain. She crashed to the ground, her breath knocked out of her chest.

The bite left a deep and gaping wound on her side. Tears began to stream from her eyes as she felt the venom start to burn her skin. The wolf that had attacked, glowered over her with a devilish grin. Stefan dashed to her side before it could tear her apart, pushing the beast away. He lifted her up and bolted as soon as she was securely in his arms.

Zooming through the trees, Stefan tried to put as much distance as possible between them and the wolves. He stopped once they were miles away, but he could still hear the werewolves howling.

"Caroline, are you okay?"

He studied her body for any injuries before seeing the bite on her side. He scowled. Her blouse was completely shredded and blood oozed from her wound.

Caroline whimpered.

"It's okay, it's okay. We're going to find Klaus and he'll heal you, okay, Caroline?" he tried to assure her.

Stefan tried to hush her, but the sting of the venom was already ripping through her skin.

He began to run towards the direction of New Orleans when he stumbled upon the wolves again. They stood in a line, growling as they moved in unison. They barked at him, daring him to try and pass.

Desperate to save Caroline, he knew he had to bring her to Klaus. But with the wolves on his trail, he feared he'd be bringing a massacre to town.

He took one last hopeless glance towards New Orleans, before turning away and speeding towards the direction he had left his car. They had to get back to Virginia.

He needed to contact his brother. This was going to be a problem.

Stefan barged into Elena's dorm room with Caroline slung in his arms.

"Caroline!" Elena rushed to his side and studied her friend. "Is she okay?"

"She's resting right now, but I don't know how much longer she'll last after a bite like that," he confessed. Stefan walked over to the bed and set Caroline down.

After he had miraculously escaped the pack of werewolves and managed to get into his car, the first thing he did was call Damon and notified him of the situation. In turn, Damon filled the gang in on what happened. They all agreed to meet in Elena's dorm room.

"How did this even happen?" Matt angrily asked.

"We were out hunting in the bayou when we were ambushed by a pack of werewolves."

Matt frowned at Tyler. "I thought you said the bayou was abandoned?"

Tyler raised his hands up in defense. "It was when I went. There were just a bunch of empty trailers and a creepy old cabin."

"Well, obviously not because now Blondie here is dying," Damon added. "What is this, the fifth time she's been bitten?"

"Third time," Caroline corrected finally coming to her senses.

They all turned to look at her in surprise.

"Caroline!" Elena ran to her side.

Struggling to sit up, Elena helped her lean against the bed frame. Caroline nodded to her that she was fine.

"Third time, my bad," Damon continued. "Look at it this way, now we have more of a reason to find Klaus. We need his blood to save Caroline."

"This is serious, Damon," Elena turned to him with a frown. "Why were you guys even looking for him in the first place? Were you trying to get yourself killed?"

Stefan and Damon exchanged awkward looks at each other. Elena studied them suspiciously until it finally clicked.

"You guys are trying to get Klaus to compel back my memories, aren't you," she declared angrily. Their lack of rejection and guilty expressions only confirmed her suspicions. "I knew it."

Damon stepped forward. "Now Elena, let me explai–"

"What's there to explain, Damon? I know what you guys are trying to do," Elena stood up, furiously facing them. "I told you, I didn't want those memories back. Why can't you guys just respect my decision?"

Damon stood before her uncomfortably. Unable to think of a response.

"Well, what about that night we waited outside the Mystic Falls border?" Caroline croaked. Elena paused and everyone turned to look at her. "You told me you wanted your memories back."

"Well," Elena said. "I…I've changed my mind."

"That was before I told you Alaric was no longer an original vampire."

"What are you trying to say, Care?"

"I'm saying that, as your best friend, I don't think you're being true to yourself by forgetting about what you had with him," Caroline paused. She couldn't believe she was even saying this. "And that you're not the same unless you're in love with Damon."

Elena had a hurt look on her face as if she had been betrayed. Damon stood appalled.

"Care, of all people, I thought you would be the one by my side. Weren't you the one who didn't appro–"

Caroline winced in pain when her arm brushed against her wound. She folded over to hide her discomfort, but tears began to well up in her eyes as she whimpered.

"Can we please talk about this another time," Matt insisted. "We need to find Klaus so he can heal her."

"Oh yeah, because that went so well the first time," Tyler muttered.

"Alright, fine. Here's the plan, Stefan and I will drive back to New Orleans and go look for him ourselves," Damon intervened.

"No. Driving's too slow and she's had the venom in her system for 15 hours by now. She probably has until tomorrow night," Stefan explained. "We'll go by plane."

"I'm going with you," Elena declared.

"Whoa there, you, missy, are not going anywhere," Damon stepped in front of her.

"I'm a vampire, Damon, I can take care of myself now," Elena side-stepped him and headed to the door, but Damon grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"And risk Klaus capturing you again and finding some witchy way to turn you back into a human so he can use your blood. I don't think so."

"Well, you don't make decisions for me, Damon," Elena said trying to shake herself free from his grasp.

"Damon's right, Elena. It'd be better if you stayed," Stefan cut in. "We need someone to watch over Caroline and make sure she doesn't leave this room when the hallucinations kick in."

The brunette frowned.

She looked at both Salvatores and then at Caroline before sighing in defeat. "Fine, but you guys better call me and let me know what's going on."

Yanking her arm away, Elena took her place next to her sick friend.

"How do we even know Klaus will come?" questioned Matt. "It's not like there's anything he could gain from helping us anyways."

"He's obsessed with her, remember," Damon blurted. "He'll take any excuse to see her."

Tyler shifted uncomfortably.

Caroline looked away remembering the last words they had exchanged. What Damon and the rest of the gang didn't know was the little promise Klaus had made to her. The promise that assured her she'd never have to face the complications that would follow her after their moment in the woods.

_**I will walk away and I will never come back...**__**I promise.**_

"Well, if that's all, we better get going. We're sitting ducks if we don't leave now," Stefan interjected. "We'll call you when we arrive in New Orleans, okay?"

Elena nodded.

Damon and Stefan exited the room. Once the door had shut and it was just the three of them left, Elena turned to study her friend's condition.

Caroline was exhausted, the pain was eating away at her. Sweat beads rolled down her head. Taking the bed covers, Elena wrapped them over Caroline's shoulder and softly rubbed her arm.

"I'm so sorry, Caroline," she whispered.

Caroline's eyes slowly started to shut.

"Everything's going to be okay."

Caroline nodded, but she knew it wouldn't be so. Everything faded to black. It was time.

_Let the nightmare begin._


	2. Chapter 2 Take A Chance, Caroline

**Wow, that was quick. Already have another chapter out. I should probably slow it down a little until I actually finish planning ahead. By all means, don't expect me to update this quick. I'm usually busy with school and work, but I was literally jittery in class today because I just wanted to write more. I even came up with more ideas for the plot! Hurrah! So this chapter is mainly focused on one of Caroline's hallucinations, after all, the story is titled "Hallucinations".**

**Please excuse me for any inaccuracies in the places I mention or the way I portray events, there are a lot things I haven't experienced and places I've never been to. All I can rely on is research and what I get from people who've actually experienced what I choose to write about. **

**But enjoy!**

****Special Thanks to The Tomboy in Pink, sandiw1875, Dollfacde129, &amp; LoveDria (happy belated birthday btw) for reviewing!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. If I did, Klaus and Caroline would be together by now.**

* * *

**Chapter 2: Take a Chance, Caroline**

Caroline woke with a start. She was in her own bedroom. The familiar walls washed with bright yellow paint, while the wooden shelves were filled with an assortment of stuffed animals and picture books. Although the blinds were closed shut, Caroline could tell it was night-time. Shadows hid in the corners as the slits of moonlight illuminated through the folds of the window.

Something wasn't right. There was no way she could be in Mystic Falls, she had just been in Elena's dorm room.

_What is going on?_

Rubbing her eyes, she tried to wipe away her drowsiness, but pulling her hands away, she grimaced. Her hands were small.

_What the–_

Frantically pulling her covers off, she observed the rest of her body. She was in plaid baby blue pajama pants and a pink shirt with a sparkly unicorn on it.

_What_.

The last time she had worn these… she was a kid. She pulled at the end of the shirt, checking her side for any sign of the bite, but all that was there was her pale white skin.

"Bill! BILL!" she heard someone scream.

Caroline jumped at the sound of her mother's voice. Scrambling out of her covers, she set her tiny feet on the ground and climbed out of bed, letting her toes dig into the wool carpet. It was cold outside of the comforts of her bed. She shivered and grabbed her hello kitty robe hanging on her chair. Instinctively, she took one of the stuffed animals from her shelf and held it close as she slowly walked towards the door. Light seeped from underneath. She could see the shadows of her mom standing on the other side.

"BILL!" Liz screamed again.

"What, Liz!" Caroline immediately recognized her father's voice.

Placing her ear against the door, she silently listened.

"You can't leave me!" her mom begged.

Caroline grasped the cold door knob and turned it slowly. Slightly opening the door, she peaked through the crack. Liz was dressed in denim jeans with a white blouse and a cardigan. Caroline couldn't remember the last time she had seen her mom in such a normal attire, she was so accustomed to her police uniform.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore, Liz!" turning away, Bill hurriedly went down the stairs.

Liz followed after him, "What about the council, Bill? They need you!"

Caroline opened the door more and squeezed her way through so she could see what was happening. She hid behind the stair case and watched what was conspiring through the indents of the stair well. Her dad was dressed in a maroon button up with a black coat, and khaki pants.

Facing his wife again, there was a look of hurt on Bill's face, "You of all people know I never wanted to be a part of all this."

"I know, Bill, I know," she whispered. "But it's your duty as a member of the Founding Families."

It pained him to hear her say that, reiterating the same words his parents and elders had said to him since he became of age.

"I'm sorry, but I want nothing to do with them."

"So what," tears starting to roll from Liz's eyes. "You're just going to leave me here to take up your responsibilities so you can run off and start a new life with another man?"

"I never wanted this to happen, Liz! You know that! But after the things I've learned and the things I've seen, I…" he closed his eyes and shuddered. "I-I don't want any part in the Council any longer."

He turned to leave.

"Well, what about your family, huh? What about us," tears streamed down her distraught face. "What about Caroline…"

Bill sighed, guilt overwhelming him as the strong woman he once loved fell apart before him.

_What of his blonde angel? What would become of her? _

"I can't protect her anymore, only you can."

He began to walk out the door.

"BILL! Please! Please don't leave us! We need you,_ SHE_ needs you!" Liz wailed.

Turning, he placed both hands on either side of his wife's face and looked straight into her eyes.

"You listen to me, Liz. The council will come looking for her one day, asking her to join them. But you, you keep her from all this as long as possible."

He looked deep into his wife's eyes, she could see the fear that hid behind his gaze.

"You will take my place as the Keeper and you will never tell her of what the council has in their possession," he said shakily. "You understand me?"

Liz looked at him for a moment longer, before nodding trying to hold back further tears.

Taking one hand away from her face, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a necklace with an intricate key at the end. He took Liz's hands and placed the key in it, wrapping her fingers around it.

"The council will want me dead when I leave, they will come looking for this. So when I'm gone, go back to the council and show them this key, and they will know you have taken my place. Protect it with your life."

His eyes lingered on her before he let go of her trembling hands and headed to the door. Picking up his boxed belongings, he disappeared from her sight. The sound of an engine running reverberated through the empty hall as the car pulled away from the driveway.

Liz crumbled to her knees holding the key in her hands, sobbing at the open door.

Caroline came running down the stairs, nearly tripping over her feet. She looked down at her mother who continued to cry. There was nothing more that Caroline wanted to do but to comfort her mother.

She could fix this. She just had to.

Leaving her mother's side, she ran out the door and into the street chasing after her father's car. Her feet pounded against the slippery cement, bits of rubble scraping her bare feet. The faster she ran, the further the car went until it finally disappeared into oblivion.

She stopped running, her feet bleeding from grating them against the concrete. She stood there in silence.

The cool night air whisked through her shivering body, but Caroline swore she couldn't feel anything. Not the scratches that covered her heels, nor the damp ends of her favorite pajama pants. She couldn't feel anything. She was numb.

She barely whispered, "Please, don't leave me."

_Why couldn't she fix this? Why couldn't she stop this? Why couldn't she control this?_

But she knew the answer, she had known it all along. It had always sat in the back of her mind, gnawing away at what little happiness she had left.

The fact of the matter was: she wasn't strong enough.

She was just a girl whose perfect little picture of a family was falling apart, and no amount of wishing would bring it back together. That family portrait was shattered the moment her father walked out that door and left.

She felt alone.

Suddenly all her hopes and dreams of growing up with both her parents were bashed. No longer could she picture herself introducing her first boyfriend to her dad anymore because he wouldn't be there to give her "the talk". No longer could she dream of going to any father-daughter dances with him because he wouldn't be there to sweep her off her feet. No longer could she imagine crying into her father's shoulder when a boy broke her heart because he wouldn't be there to hold her.

He wouldn't be there when she was crowned Miss Mystic Falls. He wouldn't be there to take her prom pictures and tell her how beautiful she was. He wouldn't be there to congratulate her on her high school graduation. He wouldn't be there to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day. He wouldn't be there. He wouldn't be there at all.

A sense of uselessness and abandonment overwhelmed her. Somehow her presence wasn't enough to make her father stay, wasn't enough for him to keep loving her mom. She just wasn't enough.

Her mouth quivered and her vision blurred. She tried so hard to keep herself from crying, she tried so damn hard.

Suddenly, she was reminded of all those times she was stuck home alone. Coming back home from school with no one to greet her because her mom was working a double-shift, eating breakfast and dinner at an empty dinner table, and tucking herself to sleep with only the darkness to keep her company.

_Damn these human feelings._

Caroline slumped onto the pavement and cried. She hated herself for crying. Crying made her feel weak, made her feel worthless. No matter how hard she tried to stop the tears, they just kept flowing.

_Why. Why. Why. Why_.

She covered her face with shaking hands, willing her tears to cease.

"Stop crying," she whispered in a shaky voice.

"Stop crying," she repeated louder.

Her anger grew, rage consuming her until she finally screamed, "STOP CRYING!"

* * *

The sound of a car horn rung as it rushed by.

"Caroline!" the familiar sound of his voice echoed in her ears.

Taking her hands off her face she looked around at her surroundings. She was just outside the Mystic Grill. The air was cold, and she was dressed in a black pea coat, warm stockings, and a pair of boots.

_What._

Irritated and confused, she turned to face him, "Are you serious? Take a hint."

She turned her heel and continued strutting away.

_How could he be so persistent?_

He followed close behind, "Don't be mad love, we had a little spat."

_Wait. Didn't they already have this conversation alrea-_

"I'm over it already," he continued.

She paused confused by the situation. She squinted her eyes suspiciously to her surroundings, but everything seemed the same just the way she had remembered it.

_What is going on?_

She reluctantly decided to play along with this bizarre rerun of the past, and in the sassiest tone she could muster, she said, "Aww, well I'm not."

"Well, how can I acquit myself?" Klaus said finally coming to a stop.

She turned to face him and questioned whether or not she remembered her lines. She took two small steps before facing him again.

"You, and your expensive jewelry, and romantic drawings can leave me alone."

She turned to walk away but stopped when he spoke again, "Oh, come one. Take a chance, Caroline."

She looked at him incredulously.

"Talk to me," he jumped to take a seat on a nearby bench and motioned her to join him. "Come on, get to know me."

She continued to look at him disapprovingly, he grinned, "I dare you."

Caroline raised her eyebrows and scoffed at him.

_Just like before_, she chuckled to herself.

He squinted his eyes and his grin grew wider as they exchanged looks before she gave in.

"Fine."

Taking a seat, she glanced at him. He looked at her intensely. She felt awkward and uncomfortable, unsure of what to do next. She had only agreed to play the "little blonde distraction" to help her friends. Who wouldn't take an excuse to curl their hair and put a little more effort in their make-up for a guy that's obviously interested? Not that she was trying to impress someone or anything, but y'know... Unfortunately, she didn't think this far ahead.

_What should she even say? What the hell do you talk about with a thousand-year old vampire? And why was he looking at her like that?_

She tried to avoid his gaze, "So, what do you want to talk about?"

_There. That was easy. Make him start the conversation_.

"I want to talk about you."

She laughed.

"Your hopes, your dreams, everything you want in life."

She looked at him again, Klaus still staring at her intently and replied, "Just to be clear, I'm too smart to be seduced by you."

"Well, that's why I like you," he smiled.

This time Caroline couldn't stop herself from smiling, she looked down then back at his piercing blue eyes. She would've drowned in them forever before she caught herself.

"You first then," she declared.

He laughed to himself at how she had avoided commenting on his remark, then responded, "Well, I want to have a growing army of loyal hybrids at my disposal so no one can defy me."

"Why am I not surprised?" she muttered.

_What an egotistical maniac_.

He shrugged, "You asked."

"No, technically, you asked actually," she retorted.

He smiled, "I know."

Something about the way he'd say "I know" made her want to drop her morals and just have at it with him. She turned away from his gaze embarrassed, she was strangely too comfortable having this conversation with him. She definitely did not expect that.

Turning back to him she then asked, "So, there's really nothing more in life that you want?"

He was intrigued by her curiosity.

"I'm a thousand years old, love. I've traveled the world a hundred times over and I've seen all there is to see. The only things I've ever wanted, I have now: my hybrid curse broken, the end of my father's quest to kill me, and my family reunited."

A pang of guilt ran through her as she was reminded that her friends were conspiring to kill his brother.

She smiled weakly, "So that's it?"

"Well," he looked away from her for a moment before turning back with a smirk on his face. "All I need left is a queen."

She rolled her eyes.

_Oh God. Cheesy, much?_

That remark was almost as bad as his princess line at the ball. But he seemed amused by her reaction, not hurt like the night before.

"I believe it's your turn to answer, love."

She pondered for a moment on her response.

"Well, I already won Miss Mystic Falls and I'm already captain of the cheer leading squad. So I guess now, I just want to go to prom and graduate high school."

Klaus laughed, "And what do you plan to do after that?"

She frowned, he was obviously mocking her.

"Go to college, of course."

"And after that?"

"Get a job."

"And then?"

"I don't know! I haven't planned that far ahead yet," she huffed, irritated by his prying. It didn't help that his grin only grew bigger.

"Well, I guess it's a good thing you have an eternity to figure that all out then," he teased.

"I guess," she sighed.

They sat there in silence for a moment, allowing them to think to themselves. As weird as it was, she didn't mind sitting alone with the hybrid. Although she still didn't understand why he had an interest in her, she was flattered by the degree of attention he showered her with.

She finally spoke again, "What's it like?"

He gazed back at her, she was staring up at the stars.

"What's what like, love?"

She turned her attention back to him.

"I mean, what's it like outside of here?"

He saw the genuine interest in her eyes and smiled.

"Well, it depends where you're referring to."

She looked at him hesitantly before slightly positioning her body so it was facing him. He noticed the slight change in her position and did the same, resting his arm on the back of the bench.

"New York," she said.

He smiled.

He told her about how the sky was illuminated by the tall buildings and the flashing billboards because after all, it was called "the city that never sleeps". He told her about how every New Years, the streets are flooded with people who come to watch the colorful exploding fireworks and the confetti that shower the streets at midnight. He talked about Grand Central Park and the various sculptures that were scattered around the area, pieces of art that would otherwise go unnoticed. He told her about how he was there when the Empire State Building had first opened.

"How about California?"

He went on and on about the beaches and the ocean, something Caroline had never even seen before. He talked about how he had snuck into a couple VIP parties and shared a drink with celebrities. He talked about how he used to watch the sunsets from atop the Hollywood sign. He told her about the Redwood Forests, how they stood taller than the Mystic Falls Clock Tower, and how one night, Rebekah and he had climbed to the very top of one just to get a view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

The conversation continued like that for the rest of the evening. Caroline would ask about another place and Klaus would ramble on about it from the food he tasted, the music he listened to, the people he met, and the art he saw. All the while, Caroline would be completely engrossed in his stories. Clinging onto every word he said, trying to imagine everything he talked about as if she had been there with him to experience it all.

"So I guess you can add all those places to your 'Vampire To Do List'," he smiled.

Caroline giggled, "I guess I should."

"Then it's settled," she looked at him questionably. "I'll take you to show the world."

"Whoa there, mister, I still have prom and graduation, remember?"

"And college and a job that you're not completely sure of yet," he teased.

"Exactly," she said matter-of-factly. "So until then, I am not going anywhere with you."

A grin grew on his face.

She blushed when she realized she had just promised to let him show her the world one day.

"Well, I look forward to it," he smiled.

She wanted to wipe that silly grin off his face before she realized she too was smiling. She quickly turned away from him and thought: _Hmm, me too_.

* * *

**And there you have it, the end of chapter two! I realize these chapters are kind of short... I'm not too fantastic at super fluffy and very descriptive writing, but I'll work on it.**

**Personally, I don't know what it's like to have your parents divorced, but I tried to write it from one of my friend's perspective when it happened to them. That is to say, I do not think it's ever the child's fault when their parents' divorce.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed a little reminiscing of the Klaroline Moment on the bench. I always wondered what they talked about before Klaus freaked out when his brother get stabbed. Such a perfect moment ruined.. *sobs***

**Anyways, here's another question to ponder about before the next chapter:**

What do you think the Council has in their possession that's so important that it has to be locked up?

**DUN. DUN. DUUUUUN.**

****Feel free to review and share, I love receiving feedback!****


	3. Chapter 3 Aspire, Inspire, & Perspire

**I told you guys I wouldn't update as quickly as I did with the last chapter... But here I am juggling two jobs and finals week, and I still manage to update within a week *flips hair in slow-motion* I'm just that amazing.**

**Just kidding.**

**So I'm almost all caught up on TVD. I've altered the previous chapters a little so it follows what we already currently know, but there weren't any major changes, so you guys don't have to reread them. I don't think I'll write about the whereabouts in NOLA until I catch up on the new season of TO, I hate straying too far away from canon. But don't worry, we'll get to see what happens during Damon and Stefan's little adventure in the French Quarter eventually.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.**

* * *

**Chapter 3: Aspire, Inspire, &amp; Perspire**

The Louis Armstrong Airport stood just 11 miles west of the bustling city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The Salvatore brothers stepped out from the plane and trudged into the entry way of the airport. The roof stood high with a concave interior, glass window panes encircled the center where the ceiling made a dome-shape. Navy blue chairs aligned in rows were filled with waiting passengers while sunlight shined down from the glass onto the rushing people who were all too determined to reach their destinations.

Quickly maneuvering their way through the crowds of people, Damon and Stefan hastily went down the metal escalators. They didn't bother bringing any luggage because they weren't planning on staying long in the first place. The plan was simple: find Klaus, and bring him to Whitmore to heal Caroline and bring back Elena's memories.

When they finally exited the doors where a colorful mosaic greeted them, they stepped out onto the street and took a good look at what was ahead of them. The streets were packed with people, shops lined the sidewalks, and traffic on the roads. Damon and Stefan looked at each other taking in the immensity of New Orleans.

_How could they possibly find Klaus in all this?_

"So where to first, brother?" Damon asked.

Stefan looked over the bustling crowd.

"I have no idea."

* * *

Elena came back to her dorm room with a handful of blankets in her arms, setting them gently on the edge of Caroline's bed before going back to her friend's side. Caroline was still sleeping.

"How was she?" she asked.

"She was murmuring in her sleep," Matt replied. "But for the most part, she was peaceful."

"Thanks for keeping an eye on her while I got more blankets."

Matt nodded, "I don't mind. I know she would've done the same for us."

Elena smiled to herself. He was right, Caroline always put others first. Despite her controlling nature and blunt opinions, there was no doubt that Caroline was selfless, something she came to acquire after becoming a vampire. Elena could see it. Ever since Caroline turned, she was stronger, braver, and more caring. It only strengthened their friendship, but it saddened her to think about the many times Caroline was pulled into these terrible situations. Elena couldn't help but blame herself. She recounted all the times Caroline was put in danger to protect her. She had endured far too many torture sessions and werewolf bites for a life time.

She softly rested her palm on Caroline's forehead. Despite the sweat beads covering her face, Caroline's skin was cold.

_Poor, Caroline._

Picking up a blanket, she proceeded to wrap it around Caroline's shoulders.

"Did you get a hold of Sheriff Forbes?" she asked. She knew Liz would want to hear about this.

"Yeah, she said she'd be over here as soon as she could," Matt replied. "She's been preoccupied looking into the vampire hunting group that Tripp was in."

"Did she find anything?"

"So far, nothing."

"It's all so strange. How can there be a vampire hunting task force in Mystic Falls outside of the Council?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Matt breathed, "None of this makes sense. But Tripp told me that a vampire compelled him to think he was the reason his wife died until he crossed into the border. But we both know, Mystic Falls hasn't been magic free till this summer, so there's no way it's be going on for that long."

"You're right," Elena thought. "Do you have any idea who might have been working with him?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it includes a couple of people in the task force, maybe even the trainers."

Elena shuddered, "Keep an eye on them, okay, and gather as much information as you can. We're going to need to know their next move now that they know what we are."

Matt nodded, "I'll try my best."

There was a knock.

Elena and Matt looked up when the door opened. Tyler strode in with his gym bag slung over his shoulder.

"Where have you been?" Elena asked.

Tyler chucked the gym bag to Matt. He pulled the zipper down to reveal an assortment of chips, Gatorade, beer bottles, and protein bars.

"I stopped by the student store and picked up some food after practice. I figured if we were going to be stuck here watching over Care, we might as well have something to eat while we wait for Stefan and Damon."

"Thanks, man."

They started to rummage through the bags of chips, crackers, and beer bottles. The three of them sat around the room and ate, completely unaware of Caroline's constant torment as the hallucinations continued.

* * *

Caroline jumped. There was a pounding feeling digging into her head. She wailed.

_Where was she this time?_

Her head hurt, as if a nail was being hammered into her skull. Folding over her knees she took sporadic deep breaths.

_Calm down, Caroline, calm down._

Taking her trembling hands she touched her forehead and whimpered. What used to be flawless porcelain skin, was now tarnished with a gaping red hole. Dried blood surrounding the wound.

Using her fingers, she dug them into her head and scraped at the bullet that was lodged in her skull. Pulling it free, she held the red mess in her palm and yelped. Dropping it, she sat back and tried to wipe the blood away as her wound healed. The dent in her skull popped back into place and the flesh sewed back together.

Taking a look at her surroundings, she realized she was trapped in a metal cage. Her breathing quickened.

_Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit._

Hurdling forward, she grasped the rails and shook them vigorously. They didn't budge. Spotting a latch at the bottom corner, she squeezed her arm through the bars, frantically trying to reach for the contraption. Stretching out her arm as far she could, she could only manage to barely touch the trigger with her finger tips before she jumped back.

A man sat before her, calmly lounging on a chair with a gun resting in his hands.

"I see you got the bullet out," the man taunted. "That was nasty."

Caroline rigidly sat back, fear taking over.

"I've got lots of wooden bullets," he lifted up his gun, "Lots of little toys."

Caroline frantically tried to think of ways to escape. Maybe she could lure him close enough so she could grab the keys, or kill him. Or maybe she could try breaking the bars, after all, she had vampire strength. Or maybe-

The man had a malicious smile on his face, "It's going to be a long night, sweet pea."

Aiming the gun, he shot her in the chest. Caroline screamed and bent over. The bullet had splintered into one of her ribs, the shards digging at her insides. Taking short breaths, she tried to ignore the pain, but she could hardly breathe without the shards threatening to puncture her lungs.

Trying to concentrate, she listened to what was around her. Maybe she could make out where she was? Focusing her hearing, she closed her eyes. She could make out the sound of a woman's voice outside.

_It must be that bitch, Jules._

"You made a mistake, Stefan," threatened Jules. "I'm gonna give you a chance to fix it."

Caroline waited for a response from Stefan hoping he was there, but she only heard the murmurs of his voice over her breathing. She concluded she was on the phone.

"Right here, want proof?" Jules barged into the RV and held the phone out to the man. "He needs proof."

Turning his attention from Jules, the man lifted up his gun again, this time he shot Caroline's shoulder. She screamed, recoiling as the bullet burrowed into her arm.

Jules stormed out of the RV, but Caroline could still hear her talking to Stefan.

"I hurt her again, and she's dead. Bring Tyler to me, the clearing by Wickory Falls. You have 20 minutes until she dies."

Crawling to the opposite side of the cage, Caroline tried to distance herself from the man for fear he might shoot her again. She had to get these bullets out to think straight. She wedged her fingers into the places she got shot and pried the bullets out. She squealed when her nails scraped against her open wounds. Dropping the bullets down to the metal flooring, she hopelessly looked at the man before her.

He had a stone, cold look on his face. His eyes screamed disgust and hatred for her kind, and she could see he wanted nothing more than to kill her.

She knew she was going to die.

She gripped at the bars, crying to her herself. She kicked at them, kicking them so hard that the cage shook under her desperation to get out.

"So how many vampires are in this town anyways," he asked leaning towards her.

Caroline looked at him hesitantly. There was no way she was going to rat out her friends, but she knew if she didn't say anything he'd just continue to torture her. The thought of him introducing her to more of his vampire torture toys absolutely frightened her. But holding her tongue, she pressed her lips together, keeping them shut despite her quivering lips.

The man got out of his seat and leaned against the bars before pulling out a green squirt gun. Vervain shot out from its nozzle, seeping into her face. Caroline screamed trying to wipe away the pain, but the vervain just burned her hands. The vervain dripped down her face, mixing with her tears. He was clearly enjoying this.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she kicked at the door again, "Why are you doing this? WHY?"

Pulling out another contraption, he replies, "You're a vampire, why not?"

She watched him put wooden sticks into what looked like a black straw. He shot the wooden darts and they stabbed into her neck, right above her collar-bone. She screamed again.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" he put his ear against the cage.

"LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT!"

Caroline mercilessly kicked at the cage, driving her boots into the bars. The man frowned at her and exited the RV, rejoining Jules outside. Caroline tried to reach for the latch again, but with no luck. She had to get out. She just had to. _But how?_ There was no doubt in her mind that they were going to kill her. Werewolves and vampires were sworn enemies by nature, no way were they going to spare her life after they got Tyler.

_Tyler_, she thought.

She remembered the look of hate he had earlier that day. He was so furious, so betrayed. He wouldn't come to rescue her, she had lied to him. All of them did. Caroline sat back in her corner and wept. She was going to die.

She wouldn't get to say good-bye to her mom or tell her the truth about what she was. She knew her mother was against vampires and it scared her that her mother might reject her, but Caroline wanted to be honest with her. They were family after all. She wouldn't be able to see her dad ever again. It upset her that she wouldn't be able to ask him why he abandoned them. Why he couldn't stay for her. She wouldn't be able to fix things with Matt. Things were looking up and she would've been able to talk to him after his closing shift if she hadn't been kidnapped. She hadn't even gotten to go to prom, or graduate high school, or decorate a dorm room with her friends. There were just so many things that she had left to do, but she never thought it would be all taken away from her so quickly.

She was trapped and it angered her that even though she was a vampire now, she was still weak.

Making one final blow at the cage, a new wave of tears came. No matter how much she tried to convince herself that she was strong, ageless, and fearless, it didn't change that she was imprisoned in a cage of her own insecurities and weaknesses. She was no better than the human Caroline. Maybe even worse.

She closed her eyes and rested her forehead against the cold metal bars, wallowing in her hopelessness. _Why wasn't she strong enough?_

* * *

With her eyes still closed, she could hear her surroundings changing. The eerie silence of the woods was suddenly replaced with the slow hum of an orchestra playing. The familiar tune of Falling Slowly played softly in the background. Caroline could hear the chatter of people talking and the rustling of feet moving. The chirps of birds and the buzz of bees filled her ears until the slow strum of the instruments enveloped her eardrums.

"Caroline."

She opened her eyes to be met with piercing blue ones. Klaus stood in front of her dressed in a black suit, a tie, and a light grey button up. In one hand he held a bottle of champagne and in the other two glasses. He smirked when he noticed she was checking him out. Her face quickly turned into a frown.

_Not this again. _

"Someone's tired," he smiled. "Too busy single-handedly running the pageant to sleep, love?"

"Well," she asserted. "If you want something done right, you gotta to do it yourself."

He let out a laugh, "I guess it worked out then, seeing that the pageant is a success. Is it not?"

Caroline overlooked the ceremony. Flowers garnished every corner, bottles of champagne were being poured to tinkling glasses, people were dressed up and enjoying themselves, and the sweet melody of the orchestra echoed throughout the courtyard. Everything was perfect.

Caroline smiled to herself. It was moments like these when she finally got to appreciate what she had created that she was filled with a feeling of accomplishment and fulfillment.

"I guess, it did work out," she replied still admiring her work.

Klaus looked at her and admired the woman that stood before him.

Wrapped in her intricately designed green dress and perfectly wavy hair, she was nothing less than a queen. An angel sent from kingdom come with skin that glistened in the sunlight. She was the goddess of light, and her warmth never failed to astound him. If only she had any idea of what she was capable of, that her talents surpassed these petty events of planning for high school dances and town pageants. She could rule the world with him if she knew just how remarkable she really was.

Caroline spotted Tyler dressed up in his suit sitting at a table talking and laughing with Hayley in her strappy tight red dress. She cringed at the sight of them. Even though she knew this was all pretend, it didn't stop a pit of despair from settling inside her. She was painfully reminded of how Tyler had spent a lot of time with the brunette while trying to break his sire bond.

_Wasn't that how she and Tyler fell in love in the first place?_

Caroline had been there for him from the beginning after he triggered the werewolf curse, and had stayed by his side since then, helping him through it all. So who was to say that the same didn't happen between Hayley and Tyler all those nights shifting into a werewolf?

She scowled and looked away.

_Stupid human insecurities._

Klaus took a step forward and looked at her concerned. She looked up at him. He could see the sadness in her eyes.

Lifting up the bottle of champagne he offered, "So how about that drink?"

The sadness melted away and she smiled hesitantly.

_Was this his own weird way of comforting her?_

She would never get used to how nice he was to her. But turning her attention away from the Tyler and Hayley, she walked ahead of him and he followed.

When they were finally away from the pageant, Caroline slowed her pace allowing Klaus to walk by her side. They trudged through the lush green grass, following a path along the pond.

"Mind telling me what happened there between you and Elena?" he asked.

"Nothing, just the usual Elena and Salvatore brother drama," she groaned.

"I see, the young doppelgänger still has those boys wrapped around her finger," he chuckled. "It must run in the Petrova bloodline to entrance men."

She rolled her eyes, "Must be. In middle school all the boys were crazy for Elena, always asking to go on dates with her or asking her to school dances. The boys just loved her."

"I suppose history has a funny way of repeating itself," Caroline looked at him curiously. "When Elijah and I were still human, we were also in love with a Petrova doppelganger. Her name was Tatia."

"Must be in the Petrova bloodline to attract brothers," Caroline muttered. "So how'd that go?"

"How do you think it went, love?"

"Oh right, your mom used her blood to turn you into vampires..."

_Awkward_. _So does that mean he has a thing for Elena or Katherine or..?_

"It's okay, love," Klaus chuckled, as if he knew what she was thinking. "I've moved on from the Petrova's enchanting ways."

Caroline laughed at that.

"Well, Damon and Stefan could learn a thing or two from you."

"And what about you?"

She glanced over at him curiously.

"Are you always being pursued by men?"

"Me?" she asked surprised. "Oh God no! In middle school, no guy liked me. I was an annoying perfectionist, not to mention a complete control freak."

"Is that so?" he looked at her doubtful.

She nodded.

"Yeah, I wasn't really nice to people either. I mean, if I hadn't forced Elena to build a Barbie castle with me when we were younger, we probably wouldn't have become friends. She was the only one who could tolerate me…"

She trailed off when she realized she was saying too much. When the hell did she start opening up about her past to him? More importantly, when did she start getting comfortable around Klaus?

"I'm sure all those boys probably regret not going after you now."

She stopped in her tracks and looked at him, "And why do you say that?"

She knew what he was going to say, and she should've punched herself in the face for provoking him to say it. But something inside her wanted to hear him say those words because for whatever reason, she knew they would be genuine.

He turned back to her, standing inches away and said, "Well, because of how beautiful you are now."

Caroline looked at him shocked, unable to form words. She just held her mouth shut, not trusting her ability to speak. Instead, she stared at him dumbfounded. But he made no move. His eyes just searched hers for a response. The damned hybrid had successfully rendered her speechless, not an easy feat. And now that she was caught off guard, what would happen next?

But they stood there, gazing at each other, both lost in the other's eyes. She could feel the warmth omitting from his body as he took one step closer.

_Oh God_.

His lips were centimeters away from hers. Those soft dark lips beckoning her to have a taste. If she so much as made the slightest move, they would touch and she would be devoured by his charms.

She quickly broke out of her trance and took a step back and replied, "Enough about me, um, we were talking about Elena."

"Ah, yes, Elena," Klaus said slightly disappointed she stepped away, "Judging by your conversation with her, I presume she's fallen for the other Salvatore?"

"I hope not," she groaned, "I don't see how she could! He's selfish, and impulsive, and, I mean, he's Damon! It's just, as her best friend, it is my duty to warn her when she's making a giant mistake, right? And now she's taking Damon's side on everything."

"So being a vampire has changed her," he offered.

"But being a vampire only amplifies who you already are. It doesn't turn you into a completely different person," she argued.

Klaus replied in a sarcastic tone, "It's very peculiar."

Caroline looked at him questionably, "What's that look for?"

"It'll all make sense eventually," he grinned back at her.

She knew he was hiding something for his own amusement, she just didn't know what.

They finally came to a bench resting atop the grassy knoll where a large oak tree loomed over, providing shade from the heat.

"Whatever, just-" she took a seat on the wooden bench. "Just find the cure already."

"I'm working on it," he smiled.

Klaus sat next to her, leaving some space between them. Setting the glasses down, he started to open the champagne bottle. Caroline looked at him.

Hesitantly, she asked, "Would you ever take it?"

"Now why would I want to cure myself of being the most powerful creature on the planet, hm?"

She wasn't convinced, "So there's not one single moment in your whole life you wanted to be human?"

_POP!_

The cork flew off the bottle as Klaus proceeded to fill a glass with champagne.

"How about you?"

"Oh yeah, and go back to being the neurotic control freak I was before?" she laughed, "I think I'm doing everyone a favor by being a vampire. At least this way I can control myself."

Klaus chuckled as he handed her a glass of champagne, they clinked their glasses together before taking a sip. Sitting in comfortable silence, they enjoyed the view of the pond.

"But I must admit," Caroline said after taking a sip. "Life used to be a lot easier."

"Life used to be a lot easier," Klaus repeated.

He got up from the bench as Caroline looked at him confused.

_What the hell was he doing this time?_

"Don't you miss the days of," pulling out a piece of paper from his jacket he read aloud, "'Chair of the Mystic Falls Beautification Committee' and the 'Director of the Policeman's Yearly Raffle.'"

Caroline's eyes grew wide, horrified when she realized what he was reading.

"Is that my Miss Mystic application? Where did you get that?" she demanded.

Standing up she tried to grab it from him, but only managed to smack it out of his hands.

She was embarrassed, she didn't want the hybrid to look at her work. Not that she was trying to maintain a facade around him, she knew he liked her, so this was probably his way of getting under her skin. But really? Her Miss Mystic application of all things?

He caught the wrinkled piece of paper and continued reading in a mocking tone, "'When I am chosen, I intend to redefine excellence.'"

Caroline ran her hand through her hair in frustration. How did he even manage to get his hands on her application? It was supposed to be locked up at City Hall.

"Now I'm really enjoying your use of 'when' here. It's very confident," she turned to him and nodded, ready to beat the crap out of the damned hybrid until he gave her back her application.

He was reveling in her embarrassment as he continued, "'And above all, I promise to aspire, inspire, and perspire…"

Caroline put her hands on her hips trying to preserve what little dignity she had left.

"Obviously, we found a shortage of words ending in 'spire'."

"Yeah, it's hilarious!" Caroline lunged at him again, determined to burn that application in the fiery depths hell when she had it in her possession, "It's just–"

Klaus outstretched his arm so it was just out of her reach. They exchanged looks, both waiting for the other to make a move.

A smile crept at the corner of her lips. Suddenly the thought of Klaus going out of his way to break into the town office to retrieve a copy of her Miss Mystic application seemed silly to her. Caroline couldn't help but laugh. She tried to cover it with her hand, but when she looked back at Klaus, who was laughing with her, she couldn't help but imagine him rummaging through file drawers trying to find her application.

She couldn't contain it any longer. She laughed some more, taking a seat back on the bench. It was hard to believe this was the same guy who mercilessly slaughtered Katherine's family for revenge, who killed her best friend in order to perform a ritual for his own selfish needs, and who spitefully killed his failed hybrids. She wanted to hate him, she had every right to. But every time he made her smile, and every time he made her laugh, and every time she caught him looking at her the way he does, she'd forget all about the bad things he's done.

Klaus refilled her glass and his, so while everyone else was at the ceremony, they were enjoying each other's company alone atop the grassy knoll sipping champagne and talking about the world.

* * *

**And BOOM, the end of Chapter 3! I swear, every time I start to write these chapters, more ideas pop up! Still praying this all works out.**

**I actually had to re-watch the episode for when Caroline was first kidnapped and tortured, had to make sure I was telling things as accurately as possible. Sorry it wasn't any new information like the last hallucination when I made up how I thought Liz and Bill got divorced...**

**Hopefully the transitions between Caroline's bad hallucinations and good ones aren't too terrible. I wanted it to look like every time she had a hallucination of a scarring moment in her life, her mind always turned to the good memories to ease her pain *cough*cough Klaus *cough And yes, you can expect that pattern to continue in this story.**

**As for the second part of her hallucination, this one's literally my favorite Klaroline moment. I just love how cute they are together and GAH. I also hope you guys enjoyed that little scene when Klaus is standing dangerously close to Caroline. That was a reference to a promo picture for TVD season 4 when Klaus supposedly kissed Caroline, but the scene was removed because "it wasn't romantic enough".. Well, I just made it romantic. So the writers can suck my ass.**

**On side note, here's the Question of the Day:**

Who do you think is running the vampire hunting squad in Mystic Falls?

**I've got one more final tomorrow and then I will have all the time in the world (besides work) to write! So feel free to review or leave feedback, I do enjoy reading what you guys have to say!**

****I created a new twitter account aside from my main one, I'll be posting updates on** **chapters and such there klarophant FOLLOW MEEE**


	4. Chapter 4 Princess Grace of Monaco

**Wow! Really appreciating the reviews I've been receiving. Keep it up guys, it gives me so much motivation to keep on writing. After finals I went straight into writing this chapter, but I kept reediting it because I felt like it wasn't good enough.**

**By the way, I'm actually finally caught up on TVD, so I know all the shit that's going down. I won't rant too much up here, but stay tuned for the end to see my response to what's been going on in the show and how it'll affect my story.**

**Anyways, as always… enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. Chapter 4: Princess Grace of Monaco**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Prince Grace of Monaco**

Tyler, Matt, and Elena sat in a circle on the wooden floorboards. Wrinkled wrappers and empty beer bottles littered the ground. Tyler and Matt passed a crumpled piece of paper back-and-forth, while Elena fidgeted with her phone. Needless to say, they were bored. There was still no word from the Salvatore brothers, and Caroline was still passed out. This was turning out to be the most boring weekend ever.

Eventually, they resorted to going through Caroline's collection of board games, and after pulling out Monopoly, Clue, and Risk, they settled with a friendly game of Scrabble.

"It's your turn, Matt," Tyler said.

Shuffling the tiles on his stand, Matt pulled out four and placed them on the board. It read: "human". Elena and Tyler frowned at him.

"What," Matt looked back at them. "It's just a word, guys."

Tyler sighed, and taking the notepad, he added 10 points to Matt's score.

"Well, in that case," Elena picked up all her tiles and arranged them around the "m" from Matt's to form "vampire".

Matt frowned, "Seriously, Elena."

"What," she shrugged her shoulders innocently. "It's just a word. I believe that's 14 points."

Taking the notepad again, Tyler scribbled 14 points under Elena's score. It was Tyler's turn now. Taking his tiles, he used Elena's "e" and made "werewolf".

Matt and Elena groaned together.

"Hey, hey," Tyler raised his hands up in defense. "It's just a game, guys."

"Yeah," Elena snatched the notepad from him. "And you're only allowed seven tiles on your stand, there's no way you could've spelled out 'werewolf' without having extras."

Tyler rolled his eyes.

"This is such bogus," Matt pushed away his stand. "What's taking Damon and Stefan so long anyways? It's been almost eight hours, and I'm pretty sure Louisiana's only a two-hour flight from here."

"I don't know," Elena sighed, "But they're sure taking their dear sweet time."

There was a knock at the door that made them all turn their heads.

_Who could it be?_

Getting up, Elena cautiously walked up to the door and opened a small crack to take a peek.

"Hello, Elena."

"Sheriff Forbes," Elena said surprised. She opened the door wider.

"May I come in?"

"Um, of course," she held the door out so Liz could enter.

Liz briskly walked in and immediately spotted Caroline. She rushed to her side. Placing the back of her hand on Caroline's forehead, she checked her temperature. Still cold.

"How long has she been out?"

"Awhile now," Matt answered, "But she's been mumbling a lot in her sleep."

"I see," she said concerned.

Liz inspected her daughter for any further injuries. Pulling the covers gently off and lifting the fold of Caroline's shirt, she cringed as she examined her werewolf bite. Although Elena had thoroughly cleaned the wound, the bite still looked fairly fresh. The inside had a glossy deep red color to it, but the surrounding skin was sickly yellow with grey veins protruding its ends. Liz pulled Caroline's shirt back down to conceal the wound and turned back to the three teenagers.

"Any news from Damon and Stefan?"

"Yeah, we received a call that they arrived in New Orleans about five hours ago," Elena affirmed, "But they said it might take them some time to find Klaus since they don't exactly know where he lives…"

"Really?" said Matt appalled, he turned to Tyler. "Don't you know where Klaus lives, didn't you visit him that one time?"

"I never actually went to his house," Tyler responded. "All I know is he lives somewhere in the French Quarter."

"He probably lives somewhere extravagant," Elena added. "I mean, remember his mansion here?"

Tyler rolled his eyes annoyed.

While the three of them pondered where they thought Klaus might be, Liz looked back at her daughter lost. How could they possibly find Klaus in time to save her daughter's life? New Orleans was a busy city, it would be nearly impossible to find him.

_Where could he be?_

And then she remembered.

"You guys," Liz interrupted. "I think I know where he is."

They all looked at her questionably.

"How?" Tyler asked.

"Before graduation, while Caroline was sending out graduation announcements, she handed them to me so I could bring them to the postal office for stamps."

The three teens didn't follow and looked at her confused.

"And while I was putting stamps on each of them, I saw one under Klaus' name."

Elena, Matt, and Tyler exchanged looks of shock.

_Of course_.

How could they forget? Klaus had somehow arrived in time to save Stefan, Elena, and Caroline from a band of vengeful witches. They knew Caroline had been calling Klaus all day to save Damon, but what she neglected to tell them was that she actually _invited_ him to their graduation.

Rummaging through her pocket for a pen, Liz grabbed a piece of paper and started scribbling down an address. Of course she never questioned Caroline as to why she had asked the hybrid to come because she knew it would be an awkward conversation that she and Caroline would much rather avoid. But taking special precautions as Caroline's mother and the town sheriff, she had taken the liberty of memorizing his address. She wanted to know who to go after if things got bad on her little girl's big night. But strangely enough, graduation night had gone smoothly and Caroline had returned home safely.

When she finished, she held out the piece of paper and Elena took it.

"How did you even manage remember this?"

Liz scoffed.

"When the oldest and most powerful being on the Earth is pursuing your daughter, you take note of where they live," Liz retorted. "Bill may not be around to watch out for any bad boys, but I'm her mother, it's my job to make sure she's safe."

"This is fantastic!"

Elena smiled and pulled out her phone and started searching for Stefan's number.

_RRRRRIIIINNNNGGGG!_

Reaching for her back pocket, Liz pulled out her phone and viewed the caller ID.

Turning back to the teens she excused herself, "I have to take this."

They nodded and allowed Liz to exit the room. Liz closed the door behind her and pressed the answer button. Her hands were shaking, but her voice was firm.

"Hello."

"Hi, this is Doctor Ross. I'd like to speak to Elizabeth Forbes," said a voice on the other line.

"This is she."

"Hello, Miss Forbes. I just wanted to follow you up on your last appointment."

"Yes, well, I'm a little busy right now," Liz answered in a cold tone.

"I realize that, but after looking through your test results again, we think it'd be best if we start the radiation treatment as soon as possible."

Liz scowled.

"I am the sheriff. My duty is to the people of this town. I don't have ti–"

"I know, but you need treatment now or you'll die."

The thought had never occurred to her before. She had always been so strong. She knew death was inevitable, but she didn't think it would happen until another thirty, forty years. It became silent on the other end of phone.

"I'm sorry, Miss Forbes. But you need this treatment as soon as possible or your health will only worsen. The sooner we start, the more chances we have of stopping it from spreading."

Liz stayed quiet, pondering whether or not to reply.

"Fine, I'll be down at the hospital later tonight."

After sorting out scheduling, Liz came back into the room just as Elena got off the phone with Stefan.

"What'd they say?" she asked.

"They're on their way now to the address you gave us," Elena replied. "They said if you're right, then they'll be back by nightfall."

Liz had a small smile.

"Well, I've got to head out back to town. Duty calls."

"Well, is there anything you'd like us to do, Sheriff?" Matt asked.

"Call me when Caroline's conscious," Liz said. She started to head towards the door, but took one last glance at her daughter and then back at the three of them, "And make sure Klaus gets his ass here on time to save her life."

The three teens nodded.

Leaving the room, Liz started to head downstairs until she was out in the parking lot. She'd have to tell Caroline eventually that after she and Stefan checked her into the hospital after the switch with Tripp, the doctor's did a full examination and discovered she was developing a brain tumor. She had been trying to avoid following up on another check-up by busying herself with the investigation on Tripp's vampire hunting squad, but she knew she couldn't avoid it any longer.

More often than not, she found herself exhausted and dizzy at work. The doctors had warned her that the symptoms would only worsen if she continued to avoid the treatment she so desperately needed. It would only be a matter of time till–

Liz shook her head.

The news would crush Caroline, and she couldn't stand the thought of worrying her so much. She would handle this herself, no use in bringing too much attention. She was the town sheriff after all, it was her duty to protect everyone. She'd find another time to tell Caroline.

She turned the key in the car ignition and the engine came to life.

Pulling out of the parking lot, Liz headed back onto the main road to Mystic Falls. She'd tell Caroline eventually. Just not right now. Not when there was so much to do. Just as her daughter was fighting for her life now, she would too.

She could get through this. She just had to.

* * *

Caroline's eyes fluttered open. There was a throbbing pain in her neck.

_What's going on?_

Trying to not to stir from her position, Caroline scanned the room with her eyes trying to recall what had happened. Caroline caught her breath when she suddenly remembered.

_Damon… bit her_.

Jolting up, she looked at her reflection in the mirror, her fingers brushing past the bite mark.

It was deep, she could still feel the incisions that his teeth made on her soft skin, dried blood surrounding it. Hesitantly looking to her right side, she took a good look at her attacker. His scruffy dark hair lay in a mess on her pillows, his toned body resting under her bed sheets, and his chest silently heaving deep breaths peacefully.

_How could such a beautiful being be a monster?_

She remembered his soft kisses on her stomach, slowly moving up her body. His hands caressing her sides, sliding up and down her in a gentle motion. She was in utter bliss as his lips travelled all over her.

But it happened so fast. One moment she was being mesmerized by his steely blue eyes, and the next she was being consumed by his deep red ones. She would never forget the moment she felt his teeth penetrate into her skin, the moment she realized she was going to die.

She had screamed, but to no use. Her mom was working late that night, so there was no escape. His teeth dug into her neck, tearing at her perfect skin. The monstrous sound of him sucking her blood only further frightened her. He drained her of blood, devouring every last bit of her pride. Many times she strained to pry him off, kicking and hitting him as hard as she could. But every time she tried to fight back, he'd respond violently. He mercilessly slammed her against the bed and took everything she had, ripping what little clothing she had left on. His inhuman strength held her down, one arm nailing her hands over her head and the other still stroking the rest of her body while he rammed himself against her in a torturous rhythmic pattern. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't. She was weak. She was _human_.

Shaking from the memory, she tried to push it back. She started nibbling on her fingernails in anxiety. She could cry about it later, but she just had to get out of that room. She had to get away from _him_.

She nervously put her feet on the ground, careful not to make a noise. She didn't know what he was, or what he planned to do with her. But all she knew is that she needed to get out of there and find help.

Lifting herself off the bed, she tiptoed towards the door. The floorboards creaking under her light footsteps.

Once she had passed the bed, she checked to see that Damon was still there. He lay fast asleep, still sprawled over her sheets. Choking back her fear, she proceeded to move towards the door. One step at a time, each one heavier than the last.

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

Taking her trembling hand, she reached towards the door, slightly twisting the black knob with a creak. Almost instinctively, she felt the need to check that Damon was still there. Turning her head again, she looked at her bed. Empty.

Her heart started to beat faster.

_Shit. _

She looked back at the door.

"Good morning," he greeted.

Damon stood between her and the exit with a smug grin on his face.

Backing up, Caroline held her hands in front of her, shaking them as if they'd protect her from him. He crept forward like a lion stalking its prey.

"Please. Don't."

Caroline's back hit against her drawer, she grabbed the nearest weapon she could to protect herself. A lamp.

"Don't do that," Damon warned, but Caroline lifted it and whacked him as hard as she could, but only managed to further annoy him. She threw the lamp to the ground and jumped across the bed, grabbing a small vase.

"Ah, ah, ah," Damon wagged his index finger. Caroline threw it at him, but he effortlessly dodged it.

She tried to make a run for the door, but he zoomed in front of her way and savagely shoved her back onto the bed. Caroline moved back against the head board reaching for a pillow. She flung it at him, but he easily caught it.

Damon sighed, "This could've gone a completely different way."

_This was it._

Caroline started breathing faster, she was afraid he'd try to have his way with her again. So she braced herself for his next move.

Damon looked down at the blood from the pillow she had thrown. Pulling it up to his nose, he let the sweet scent of her blood envelope his senses. When he pulled it back down, Caroline could see his inflamed eyes hungry for more and his sharp fangs ready to feed. He dashed forward, sinking his teeth into her neck. Caroline screamed, but Damon covered her mouth with his hand as he continued to drink her blood.

Thrashing against him, she squirmed to be free. Damon let go and pinned her against the head board, and looked into her eyes.

"You are going to stop fighting me and continue being my walking blood bag of a girlfriend. You won't tell your friends anything, especially not Stefan, and you will hide my bite marks," Damon looked around the disheveled room until he grabbed one of her scarves and handed it to her. "This'll work."

Caroline looked at him frightened as his eyes bore into her.

"Do you understand?"

Caroline could feel her fear melting away, and felt this urge to do whatever Damon asked of her. Just as Damon's compulsion started to settle, Caroline could feel the last bits of her freedom slipping away. Her control gone.

"I understand," she whispered as a single tear rolled down her cheek. Damon wiped it away with his thumb.

"It's okay, it's okay," he whispered sweetly.

Pulling her into an embrace, he lightly kissed her shoulder, then her collar bone, then her neck.

"You'll be fine," he said, licking the dried blood from his bite.

"But after I get what I want" he whispered, still kissing her neck. "I'm going to kill you."

Damon plunged his fangs back into her neck, this time Caroline didn't make a sound. She only repositioned her neck so he could continue to drink her blood. She was screaming inside, but she couldn't find the strength to push him away. So she just laid there as he continued to drink. And the last thing she could remember before she passed out was: _Why am I so weak?_

She closed her eyes.

* * *

"Can I help you with anything, ma'am?" asked a woman at the front desk.

Caroline opened her eyes, and looked around confused.

_Where was she now?_

"Ma'am, are you okay?"

The woman continued to look at her concerned.

_Where did her crazy mind take her this time?_

She studied her surroundings in wonder. It seemed to be a store full of gowns back in Mystic Falls.

_What was she doing in a dress store?_

Shaking her head, Caroline finally gathered her senses.

"Um, yeah, I'm fine."

The clerk looked at her unconvinced.

"How can I help you today?"

"Um," Caroline glanced at her phone lock screen to check the date, it was late Night. She looked back at the woman skeptically.

"I'm here to pick up my dress, I guess."

"Alright, can I get a last name please?" the lady pulled up a computer.

"Forbes. Caroline Forbes," she replied.

The woman started to type in her name and then looked back at Caroline suspiciously.

"It looks like it was already picked up."

"WHAT," Caroline almost yelled. "By who?"

"I can ask the tailor who took it," the woman offered.

Caroline nodded, barely containing her anger. The woman left the room for a moment before coming back with a tailor, the exact tailor Caroline had asked to press her dress a few days ago.

"What seems to be the problem?" the tailor asked.

"Miss Forbes is here to pick up her dress, but when I looked it up on the computer, it said the dress had already been taken," the woman explained.

"Which dress?"

"It's a dark magenta satin dress with a bow on the back."

"Oh yes, it was picked up earlier today!"

"By who?" Caroline exclaimed.

The tailor looked at her blankly.

"I don't remember."

"WHAT! How do you not remember who –" Caroline stopped herself, something told her a little brunette bitch ran away with her prom dress. "Never mind."

Caroline stormed out of the dress store and got in her car. Grabbing her phone, she started to furiously text Elena.

**Caroline:** You bitch!

**Elena:** Queen Bitch, at your service.

**Caroline:** Give me back my prom dress!

**Elena:** You mean _my_ prom dress.

_Oh no. She. Didn't. She did not just go there._

**Caroline:** I'm going to kill you!

**Elena:** That's cute.

"BITCH!" Caroline yelled, hitting her steering wheel with her fists.

_Now what. _

What the hell was she supposed to wear to prom now?

Throwing her phone back into her bag, she angrily tried to think of two things: 1) Where she could get a last minute dress, and 2) How to murder Elena the next time she saw her.

Rubbing her fingers against her temples, she suppressed the need to go over to Elena's house and beat the shit out of her until she got her dress back. Although she understood her friend had turned her emotions off because of Jeremy's death, it didn't excuse her from being a bitch. I mean, her prom dress, really?

So what could she wear? There had to be something. She could wear her green dress from the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant, but that design was _so_ last year. Or maybe she could wear the fancy blue dress Klaus gave her for the ball. But who wears a dress twice?

_Wait._

**Klaus.**

The hybrid undoubtedly had a closet full of dresses to choose from. Granted many of them were probably centuries old, there was no doubt in her mind they were most likely high-class and expensive.

Caroline wanted to hit herself for coming up with such an idea. After all, she had strictly told him not to call her for help after phone stalking her the other day, and now here she was about to beg him for a dress. But she was in desperate need of one. It was prom night, possibly the most important night of her life, and he owed her big time anyways for digging for a nonexistent dagger in his back for hours.

Shoving the key into the ignition, she drove to the Mikaelson Manor in pursuit of a dress.

Once she arrived at the mansion, she parked her car in front of the roundabout and got out. She stopped on the front steps before knocking.

_Shit_.

What was she going to say?

_Hey, Klaus. Buddy. Amigo. Could you like give me a dress because my ex-best friend is a back-stabbing bitch and a prom dress stealer? Cool, that would awesome._

Caroline slapped her hand on her forehead.

"That sounded so… dumb…" she muttered.

She looked back at her phone. Two hours until prom. She sighed and hesitantly knocked on the door.

"Klaus?" she called out.

No response. She knocked again.

"Klaus?"

Putting her hand on the door knob, she opened it and peaked inside. It was dark, as if the whole house was completely abandoned. She took a step inside and started inspecting each room. All the lights were turned off and the rooms were all vacant.

_Where could he be?_

She looked up to see a beam of light flickering on top of the winding stairs, so she decided to follow it.

When she made it to the top she called again.

"Klaus?"

Still no response.

She walked faster towards the open room where the light came from and called again.

"Klau–"

She spotted him standing in front of a fireplace with his arms crossed and his back turned.

"Hello? Did you not hear me?" she said in a sassy tone.

He was ignoring her, perfect.

"Of course I heard you, Caroline. I think the whole of Mystic Falls heard you," he irritably replied, "I am in no mood for company."

She started walking towards him, determined to get what she came for.

"Well, I'm sorry you're having personal issues, but I have a real crisis in my hands!" Klaus walked closer to the fireplace, trying to avoid her, but she continued. "Elena stole my prom dress!"

He turned to face her this time, uncertain as to how this had anything to do with him.

"I went to pick up, and the tailor said somebody else already did," she explained. "But when I asked who, she said she couldn't remember."

Caroline waited for Klaus to catch on to her thinking, but the hybrid just tilted his head to the side confused.

"Hello? The vervain is out of the town water supply," Caroline declared. "She was compelled!"

Klaus burst into laughter. She didn't expect that reaction from him, so as she watched him laugh, her face became very serious.

"It is _not _funny."

"No, I know. I know," Klaus chuckled trying to subdue his need to laugh further.

"Then stop laughing," she demanded.

Klaus pushed his lips together, a smile teasing at his lips as he tried to look back at her without exploding with amusement.

"Look," she scoffed. "I know prom isn't important to you. But it's important to me."

He moved towards her a little and offered, "Well, I'm sure finding a new dress is well within your substantial vampire capabilities."

Caroline dramatically spun in her spot, throwing her hands in the air.

"Oh, but I don't just want another dress," she turned back to Klaus with a determined look on her face. "I want to look hot, like Princess-Grace-of-Monaco-**_hot_**."

She slowly started to move towards Klaus, a grin growing on his face when he realized where this was going.

"So, could you please go back into your creepy trophy case of family collectibles, and dig me out something of royal caliber?"

She flashed him her award-winning Miss Mystic Falls smile and there was no way Klaus could turn her down. Klaus smiled and nodded.

"Come with me."

Caroline followed giddily after him as he led her through a maze of rooms. The lights were still off, but she could vaguely see the silhouette of his figure. Finally, he stopped and opened the door to a dark room. He flicked on the light switch. Just as Caroline's eyes began to adjust to the sudden light change, she was met with a room full of dresses.

_Holy crap._

Caroline was stunned when she saw the walls lined with countless dresses. Each dress from a different time period, and each with a uniquely diverse design. There were blacks, golds, silvers, whites, pinks, reds, blues, and greens. She marveled at the magnificent sight.

"Take your pick," he encouraged.

Caroline took a step into the room still in awe. She didn't even know where to begin. She glanced at Klaus unsure if this was okay, but he just nodded and pulled her to one side of the room so she could take a look at the gowns.

Moving away from him, she started to work her magic. She looked through each dress. Eyeing the fabrics, designs, and colors, and picking out ones she thought had potential. While she scoured the room, Klaus lounged comfortably on a sofa watching her entertained.

When she had an armful of dresses, she turned back to Klaus.

"Is there anywhere I can try these on? I just want to make sure they fit."

"You can try them on over there."

He pointed across the room where a decorative mahogany wooden folding screen stood with a picture of hydrangeas printed on the outside.

She started heading to the folding screen, but stopped.

She glared and said in a threatening tone, "No peaking."

Klaus grinned, but lifted his hands up in defense.

"I won't."

With that said, she turned on her heel and went behind the screen. Luckily there was a rack behind where she could set the dresses down while she tried them on. She took off her jacket and slung it over the screen. She started to unbutton her pants, but peaked off to the side just to make sure Klaus wasn't trying anything, but he just mindlessly stared at the ceiling. So she pulled down her pants and took off her shirt, letting them fall to the ground.

Klaus could hear her undressing, the tumble of her clothes resting on the ground. It was almost impossible to keep himself from rushing over there and taking the rest of her clothes off. Talk about true self-control. He remembered how stunning her body had looked when he was in Tyler's body. That porcelain white skin glowing in the sun, and her kisses… _Oh God, her kisses_. To think they were so close to having "hot hybrid sex" in the woods. _So_ _damn close_. No matter, he rather ravish her in his own body anyways, with the _right_ equipment.

Klaus chuckled to himself.

"What're you laughing at, sicko?" Caroline called from behind the screen.

"Nothing, love."

"Suuuure," she rolled her eyes.

While she decided what dress to try on first, she couldn't help but look at the others still hanging on the walls. There were just so many.

"So whose dresses are these? I don't see you wearing them," she teased.

"Very funny, love," Klaus said. "But these are actually Rebekah's."

"Well, don't you think she'd kill me if she saw me wearing one of her dresses?" Caroline asked as she slid on the first dress.

"You're the one who wanted a dress, love," Klaus insisted. "I will not be held responsible for my sister's actions."

Caroline walked out from behind the screen and frowned at Klaus before going to the mirror to see how it looked on her. Klaus was taken aback, she looked stunning as always. The dress was royal blue and made of satin. It had a slim fit that curved around her body and had a black train that tied with a black bow resting over her chest.

Caroline shook her head, "It's sexy, but I don't know. I'm not totally in love with it."

She went back behind the screen and shimmied her way out of the dress and into another one.

"Well, if Rebekah kills me, at least I'll die in a pretty dress."

Klaus laughed at that.

"If Rebekah kills you, she'll ruin the dress in the process."

Caroline walked out again, this time in a light pink dress. The front had a V-cut, but it didn't hug her hips like the blue dress did. This time it wrapped around her mid torso, where the light chiffon trailed down in two separate layers revealing one naked leg. When she turned to the face the mirror, Klaus noticed the dress was backless, leaving Caroline's back completely bare, with only two measly straps to hold it all together.

Klaus turned away subduing the need to caress her back with his fingers and kiss her shoulder blades with his lips.

Why the hell did he allow his sister to prance around in a dress like that? And now Caroline would go strolling around her high school dance wearing it. No doubt those prepubescent boys would make googly eyes at her. The thought angered him. He couldn't allow her to wear that dress, well, not outside his house at least. He had to think quickly, he had to make up an excuse to why she couldn't wear that one.

"Eh," Caroline turned and headed back to the screen, "It's pretty and sexy, but it doesn't scream 'queen'."

Klaus sighed in relief as he heard her take off the dress and try on another.

"I suppose, she would. But maybe she won't mind," Caroline continued. "I mean, it's just one less dress. She has a thousand more left here."

"They're not all hers, y'know?"

"A cross dresser," she said in a mocking tone. "I knew it."

Caroline laughed to herself, while Klaus rolled his eyes. He didn't even bother responding to her accusation. He wasn't about to reveal to her his past indiscretions. Might as well let her think whatever she wanted to.

She walked out again in the final dress she had picked out. It was black. A silver brooch sat below her chest where a silk bow wrapped around her bodice. The dress withered in light ruffles that layered to the floor. It had an old Hollywood flare to it, and it made her look dark and alluring, which Klaus found kind of sexy. But it didn't quite suit her. It didn't match the light of her bubbly personality.

Caroline sighed and fell to the floor.

"I give up! I can't find the perfect prom dress."

Klaus stared at her, still not understanding the importance of prom. Of course she looked amazing in all the dresses she tried on, hell, she looked great without them. But for whatever reason, she couldn't see that.

Klaus jumped up from his seat and stood up.

"I think I have just the dress."

"What?" she looked at him confused.

He vamped out of the room, and dug into his creepy trove of family collectibles for the perfect dress. When he had found it, he rushed back and he held it out to Caroline who was still sitting on the floor confused.

"Put this on," he instructed.

"Why?" she looked at him suspiciously.

"You wanted a dress," Klaus held it out. "Here."

She doubtfully took it from him and went back behind the screen to put it on. Hanging the black dress on the rack, she carefully slipped on the one he gave her. Of course it fit like glove, probably just another one of his creepy Cinderella fetishes.

She examined the gown on her. It was ivory with pearl beading that intricately encircled her whole body. It had a tight strapless bodice, with pearl beading all over the chest area and a brooch resting below it. The dress hugged tightly to her curves, until gradually opening just below her knees where it had a frilly tulle skirt that touched the ground making her look like a mermaid.

Caroline nervously took a step out and noticed Klaus was waiting only a few feet away with his back turned.

She cleared her throat, getting his attention as he turned around.

"So, how does it look?"

Klaus looked at her stunned. He could only manage to spit out, "You look… beautiful."

No, she looked gorgeous. No, she looked more than gorgeous. She looked absolutely exquisite. But Klaus was too flabbergasted that he couldn't find the words to say that to her. He was too busy admiring how flawless she was.

"Don't be ridiculous," she blushed. "I haven't even gotten my hair done or put on my make-up yet."

"Nevertheless," he smiled breathlessly. "You look ravishing in that dress."

She turned to study her reflection in the mirror and finally saw what he did. She did look beautiful. The dress complimented her every curve and was tight in all the right places. It was alluring, but not too revealing. It was glamorous, but not too overwhelming. It was _perfect_.

She was almost glad Elena had stolen her original prom dress or she wouldn't have been able to wear this one. _Almost_.

Caroline did a quick princess twirl before facing Klaus again who was still looking at her like she was the Princess Grace of Monaco herself. He took a step toward her so they were inches apart. He lifted his hand, waiting for her to move away, but she didn't. He brushed away a stray hair and wrapped it behind her ear and then lightly touched the side of her face.

He wanted to hold her. He wanted to sweep her off her feet right then and there and show her the world. He wanted to show her everything it had to offer. And after he had shown her, that still wouldn't be enough, he wanted to give it all to her because she deserved it.

Caroline timidly rested her hand on his, taking Klaus by surprise.

He hesitantly inched forward.

He wanted to kiss her. Taking his other hand, he rested it on the other side of her face. Her other hand moved to his chest as if pulling him towards her. They looked at each other, lost in each other's eyes.

_What was she doing?_

She was supposed to be with Tyler, and here she was basically having eye sex with the man who killed his mother. She had to get out of here. But oh God, the way he was softly brushing her face and the way he was looking at her, how he always looked at her, made her want to melt. Then, those tantalizing lips luring her for a taste.

Just. One. Ki–

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

Caroline jumped away startled before rushing to her pants to turn off her phone alarm. Klaus stepped back disappointed that the moment was ruined. Caroline dug into her pocket and checked the alarm. It said: _One hour till prom! Hurry your ass up!_

"Oh my gosh, I've got to go!"

She ran behind the screen and began to quickly strip out of the dress before slipping on her normal clothes.

"I've only got one hour to do hair and make-up!"

"You can always arrive fashionably late, love. I'm sure they'd understand."

Caroline moved out from behind the screen and slipped on her jacket and picked up the dress. She started hastening out the door with Klaus following calmly behind.

Hurrying down the stairs, she asked, "When should I return the dress? I mean, I could stop by tomorrow, but I might be a little hung over, so don't expect me till the late afternoon."

"You can keep the dress," he said.

Caroline stopped just as she was opening the front door and looked at him in shock.

"Rebekah will kill me!"

Klaus placed his arm on the door and leaned against it.

"She can't kill you if it's not her dress."

"Well, whose dress is it then?"

"That's a long story," he grinned. "But rest assured it was worn by a princess almost as beautiful as you."

She rolled her eyes and scoffed.

_Reusing pick-up lines. Nice try._

"Well, I guess you'll have to tell me all about it next time," she teased.

There was a sad look in his eyes as if there wasn't going to be a next time. Klaus quickly snapped out of it and smiled.

"You should probably get going, you have another thing to check-off your 'Vampire To Do List'."

Caroline laughed as she walked over to her car and threw the dress into the passenger's seat next to her. Klaus stood at the bottom of the front door steps as she walked over to the driver's seat and opened the car door. She paused.

She thought about maybe inviting him to go to prom with her. It was the least she could do since he gave her a dress. It would've been nice to have a date at least, and maybe he could help her exact revenge on Elena. But he wouldn't want to go to some high school dance with her.

_Would he?_

She shook her head.

_Of course not_.

But before she could hop into her car and prepare for the night of her life, she felt like she needed to do something first.

"Something the matter, love?"

"I forgot something," she said, and before he could ask what, she vamped up to him and pulled him into a hug.

Klaus didn't know what to do at first. He was still utterly shocked that she was even touching him, but when he finally came to his senses, he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He took in the feel of how close her body was against his, how tight her arms were wrapped around him, and how glorious she smelt. He could stay like this for an eternity if he could.

"Thanks," she pulled away, her arms still wrapped around his neck and his around her waist.

"You're welcome, sweetheart," he smiled blissfully.

She let go and started heading back to her car.

"I'll see you tomorrow, okay? So I can drop off the dress!"

"You have a good night, Caroline," he said as she hopped into her car and drove off to celebrate the night of her life.

Klaus started heading back inside, but glanced back one last time to look at the direction her car had left and mumbled, "And good-bye" before shutting the door behind him.

* * *

**So we have arrived to the long awaited Damon and Caroline scene. I know there's some controversy from fans about whether or not Damon raped her, but in my mind, I think he did. Don't get me wrong, I love Damon (that was before the writers destroyed his character), but in season 1 he was a monster, remember? He was the "big villain" at the time. He had no respect for human life. Humans were just walking blood bags that he could feed on whenever he felt like it. For crying out loud, he turned Vicki into a vampire because he was bored! With that said, I still love Damon, and his snarky responses, and his beautiful eyes, and nice body. But for the purposes of this story and Caroline's character development, I think we can agree that Damon "took advantage" of her. We all know how much Caroline loves to be in control, and in that moment, Damon took that all away from her.**

**But don't you fret, guys. I will redeem Damon's character, I swear it, and Caroline will come out a stronger person when this is all done. I just hated how the writers just swept what happened to her away like it was nothing... no respect for Caroline...**

**Anyways, moving on. How about that Klaroline scene? This was but another scenario that I wondered about after watching TVD, like how did Klaus present her the dress, and what was her reaction, and yadda yadda yadda. I just get so annoyed that the writers left so much out, LEFT OUT SO MUCH POTENTIAL DAMN IT. But yes, this another favorite Klaroline scene of mine. I just love it when they're silly around each other, it's just so damn adorable, guys. I can't even.**

.

.

.

**Alright, here we go, my reaction to the TVD season 6 mid-season finale.**

**What. In. The. HELL. I cannot stress to you how retcon this whole season is... like I can't even. How the fuck do the writers stray so far from canon? First things first, Alaric and Tyler choosing their girlfriends over bringing Bonnie back... oh. my. god. I couldn't stand watching my baby cry on the Gilbert porch. That was just sad. And then, don't even get me started on the whole "vampire-blood-can't-heal-cancer" deal. From season one, we've been shown that vampire blood can miraculously heal any injury, wound, damage, and sickness there possibly is. From Elena's cerebral brain hemorrhage to Jeremy getting shot in the chest. And suddenly, vampire blood can't heal cancer. What the hell is this bullshittery? And the fact that they're using Liz's death as a prop to make Steroline happen only further pisses me off. So let me just make things very clear in my story.**

**I will include all the new information that I've learned from the show, but I will alter it so it less shitty.**

**1) Such as, Liz having cancer. I swear to God, I wrote that she found out she had cancer after Stefan and Caroline dropped her off at the hospital after the thing with Trip before I watched the mid-season finale. So it's an absolute coincidence that I happened to be right. That's just how predictable TVD is becoming.**

**I also won't allow Stefan to be the one to tell Caroline though, I think that's something that should strictly be between Caroline and her mom.**

**2) As of right now, Mystic Falls is still possessed by the Traveler's spell. So it's still a no vampire zone. I haven't decided how to incorporate Kai and the rest of their weird family into this yet, but I'll think of something that'll fit with my grand master plan, don't you worry.**

**and**

**3) Stefan and Caroline are still only on friendly terms, before he turned into a complete douche bag this season.**

**Also, for whatever reason, I had it in my mind that Bill and Liz divorced when Caroline was much younger, not while she was high school as the last episode suggests. I don't feel like altering it because I feel like it works better this way, so the writers can suck it.**

**I thought about telling you guys who I ship, besides Klaus and Caroline, but then I decided it would spoil the story. This way you guys can keep on wondering who's going to end up with who, while still trying to figure out who's the real enemy here, while also still anticipating when Klaus and Caroline will finally be reunited.**

**How's that for a plot line? BOOM.**

**Anyways, while I still try to sort out the mess that is TVD season 6, you can ponder on this question:**

How do you think Caroline will find out her mom has cancer?

**If I don't upload another chapter before Christmas, I'll just say it now: HAPPY HOLIDAYS GUYS!**

**FUN FACT: The dresses described are actually dresses I own. I didn't have any inspiration to go off of for prom dresses, so I used the ones I own. The blue dress was my back-up dress when the one I originally ordered (the pink one) didn't arrive in time. The black dress was my older sister's prom dress when she was in high school.**

**Feel free to review and leave feedback, I enjoy reading what everyone has to say.**


	5. Chapter 5 I Can't Be Fixed

**HEY! And I'm back again! I get the feeling that I'll probably just post once a week seeing that that's the pattern I've been noticing with myself. I tend to write these chapters in portions, and every time I finish one segment, I start the other, but I always reread everything before that segment and edit. I edit A LOT. That's probably why it takes me so long to update… my bad. Is it a sin to want perfection?**

**Anyways, thanks for all the reviews! I do take the time to read every single one, sometimes I even reply to them. I sure do enjoy engaging in some deep TVD/TO/Klaroline conversations, so feel free to message me if you want to talk!**

****PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING!****

**In the hopes of not getting you guys confused, later in the chapter, you will see bold ****AND**** italicized text. Those are the things Caroline is hallucinating. Remember, bold ****AND**** italicized are Caroline's hallucinations. Just italicized tends to represent the character's thoughts. Hopefully you guys don't get confused... *crosses fingers***

**Enough rambling, GO READ!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.**

* * *

**Chapter 5: I Can't Be Fixed**

"Josette, where are they?" a voice echoed.

The scrapping sound of a baseball bat being dragged against the wooden floorboards reverberated throughout the house, while the whimpers and screams of innocent people were silenced.

"Oh, Jo. Come out, Jo," the voice cooed, "I know you can hear me."

Jo choked on her blood, a sharp pang on her side. A hunting knife had been plunged into her stomach, leaving a deep gash. She had to remove it and stop him before he could find _them_. She winced in pain as she grasped the handle, yanking it out with a soft sob. Using her hand, she applied pressure to her oozing wound, and grabbed the knife. Pulling herself up and she exited the room. She had to find them, she had to make sure they were safe from _him_.

Jo straggled into the next room, limping her way through the hall. Entering another bedroom she studied it until she spotted two kids holding onto each other frightened.

"Josette," the voice continued to call. "Where are they, Jo?"

Walking over to them she tried to assure them in a hushed tone.

"Hey. Everything's going to be okay, alright?"

The two kids continued to tremble, unconvinced by her words.

"Everybody's just playing a game," she said. "You guys want to play a game? You want to play hide-and-seek?"

They just stared at her.

"Shhh. Okay."

Moving the frightened kids under the bed, she went under and joined them, wrapping her arms protectively around their shoulders. She began to whisper a chant under her breath.

"Come on out, Jo. You know I won't kill you," the voice beckoned.

The sounds of his footsteps came closer and closer.

_Tap. Tap. Tap_.

A pair of tainted converse walked into the room, a trail of blood following behind each foot print. The feet strode around the room and stopped at the foot of the bed. Jo's heart beat faster, making it difficult to breathe quietly. As the figure started to walk away, she let out a soft sigh of relief. But then, the footsteps returned, his feet facing the bed. A pair of hands reached down and grasped the bottom of the bed, flipping it over.

A man stood over her, his face splattered with blood. But the only person under the bed was Jo.

"Where are they?" he threatened in a dark tone.

Jo sobbed, refusing to answer him.

Rushing to the closet, he ripped the doors open, rummaging through the mesh of clothes. Still no one.

He turned back to Jo and screamed, "WHERE ARE THEY?"

But Jo just shook her head, tears streaming down her face. Full of rage, the man took his bat, and began to mercilessly beat her.

* * *

Jo jolted up from her sleep, her heart still beating fast. She sighed in relief when she realized it was just a dream. The sun had just settled underneath the horizon.

_It must be almost 7 o'clock._

She looked down and saw she was still dressed in her work clothes sitting in her office. She must've dozed off while going through hospital files again. She rubbed her forehead.

_Why had she dreamt of that night?_

It had been years since that memory had haunted her weary mind. For years she had suppressed even the thought of going home or facing her family ever again. The remembrance of her own brother slaughtering her siblings made her cringe. It had taken a long time for the nightmares to stop, for the vivid images of her brother murdering her brothers and sisters to blur, for the pain on her side to heal. Years of busying herself with medical school and preoccupying her thoughts with countless hospital cases to help her forget about that dreadful night.

So why now? Why was were the visions coming back? Had she not grown out of her nightmare phase long ago? Had she not fixed the problem since then? Had justice not been served? These were the questions that haunted Jo. The inkling that maybe the worst wasn't over yet, that maybe the worst had yet to come.

There was a tap on her office door, pulling Jo away from her thoughts.

"Come in," she called.

Alaric walked into the office with two hot coffees in his hands.

"Now how did I know, I'd find you here," he said with a grin, he offered her a cup. "I thought you might need this."

She smiled gratefully and took it.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," he beamed.

"Either there aren't enough papers to grade tonight or there are too many," Jo teased. "Which is it?"

Alaric laughed, "Is it strange to want to spend time with my girlfriend?"

She chuckled to herself. Both of them took a sip of their coffees. The caffeine instantly reviving her drowsiness.

Jo looked at him hesitantly, not sure whether or not she should tell him.

"I had a nightmare," she blurted.

"A little old for nightmares, don't you think?" he teased as he leaned against a file cabinet.

She frowned at him.

"Well, when your twin brother kills your siblings and beats you with a metal bat, it tends to scar you for life."

"Oh," Alaric said shocked. He moved over to her side and took her hands in his with a concerned look on his face, "Did you want to talk about it or –"

She shook her head. The last thing she needed was his pity. This was something he'd never understand.

"It's just," she paused. "I can't shake this feeling that something bad is about to happen?"

* * *

Elena opened the door for Matt, and then leaned against the frame.

"Be careful, Matt."

"Don't worry, Elena," Matt assured. "I'll be back in an hour or so. I just need to check-in with the squad, they're getting kind of worried that I haven't been with them in a while."

Since Tripp's death, the group of vampire hunters were getting increasingly anxious without him. They needed to regroup and decide how to proceed after what had transpired.

"I get it," she sighed. "It's just scary, y'know?"

Matt nodded.

Nothing seemed to be simple anymore. Before it was graduate high school, go to college, and get a job. But somehow their lives had made a complete 360 since their junior year with all the vampires, werewolves, witches, and travelers. Suddenly searching for witch spells, sacrificing doppelganger blood, and wearing vervain jewelry wasn't so out of the ordinary. Nowadays their futures were uncertain, every week there was always some supernatural disaster awaiting them. Nothing was ever simple anymore.

"What if they find out you're friends with a bunch of vampires?"

"They won't, don't worry about it."

"I just don't want you to get hurt, I mean, with everything's that's been going on with Damon and Stefan looking for Klaus, Caroline with another werewolf bite, and Bonnie gone and all," Elena paused. "Just please take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will," he insisted. "I'll be fine, I just need to go meet with them real quick."

Elena finally relented.

"Fine. But be back soon, we still haven't finished our game of Scrabble yet," she teased.

He laughed, "See ya, Elena."

Elena smiled and closed the door behind her.

Matt walked down the stairs and exited the school. Jumping into his truck, he headed back to Mystic Falls. He really hated lying to Elena. Though he was, in fact, meeting up with the protection squad that night, he didn't think he'd be back till later that night.

Matt had been thinking a lot lately. Before Tripp died, he said he wanted to help people like him fight against vampires, help them become strong so they could protect the ones they loved, something he hadn't been able to do when a vampire killed his wife. And when Matt watched Tripp's neck slit open, he was suddenly reminded of the terrors that came with vampires. Wasn't that how he lost his sister two years ago? Wasn't that how Tyler lost his mom, or how Caroline's father died?

_Vampires._

Vampires had ruined their peaceful town. Vampires were the reason why so many people were listed under animal attacks, why so many people were drained of blood, and why so many bodies were never found. It was all the vampires fault. And for some reason it took Matt having to watch Tripp and Monique die to remember what vampires were capable of.

_Death_.

And there was one vampire that continuously reminded him of that.

_Enzo._

The man, if you could even call him that, served as a testament of what little respect vampires had for human lives. He had impulsively killed Monique when trying to provoke answers from Stefan, had spitefully stabbed his childhood friend at a watering hole party, and had turned Tripp into a vampire to exact his sick revenge. He was a monster. Vampires were monsters.

He saw the destruction that vampires wrought. He witnessed it many times with his friends. He saw it when Caroline was being used by Damon as a blood bag. He saw it when Bonnie was being pushed around so they could abuse her powers. He saw it when Elena and her aunt were sacrificed.

He had seen it time and time again, but didn't do anything about it. Why? Well, because he was weak. Unlike the rest of his friends, he wasn't born with any witch capabilities like Bonnie, wasn't a potential Hunter like Jeremy, and nor did he contain half the abilities of a vampire like Damon or Stefan. He was human and for some reason, someone decided that humans would be the inferior race in this crazy world of supernatural beings.

He was fed up with it.

He was fed up with the compulsion, fed up with the threats, and he was definitely fed up with people dying at the hands of vampires. It was about time someone did something about it. About time _he_ did something about it. And maybe that's why he joined the protection squad during the summer, so he could become stronger. Although he had unknowingly joined a group of vampire hunters, he was beginning to think this was something he was meant to do.

Of course he wouldn't go after Elena or Caroline, there was no way he would hurt his friends. They had been the ones that showed him that some vampires were capable of caring for others and being in control of their urges.

But that didn't dismiss the suffering that other vampires wrought.

He couldn't pinpoint the exact moment he knew he had to bring vampires to a stop. But after many nights of pondering and thinking it through, it was settled, he was going to be a part of the vampire hunting squad. Although he'd continue to aid his friends, he wouldn't allow vampires to take advantage of any more humans in Mystic Falls.

Matt finally arrived to an abandoned brick warehouse. Driving through the mucky dirt, he parked his truck, and got out, slamming his boots into the mud. After banging on the heavy metal door, the slot was opened. A pair of eyes studied the intruder, only to shut it. The door was then pushed open allowing Matt in until it was once more securely shut behind him to contain the secrets that it held.

"Matt," one man stood up, patting him on the back. "Where've you been?"

"Sorry, I was with my friends," Matt replied as he joined the rest of the group.

"Friends, right?" one of them teased. "You mean that cute brunette and the blonde?"

"They're friends, guys," Matt assured.

"What about that pretty girl you took to prom? What was her name, Bonnie?"

"Didn't know you were such a lady's man, Matt," another joined.

Most of the members were composed of people he had known all his life, people he had grown up with. People who decided, they too, would take the initiative to protect their town.

They all surrounded a seating area with wooden stools, and old sofas. Some played pool, while others chatted amongst the others. They continued to tease Matt as he joined the circle of people.

"Enough," a booming voice went.

They all quieted down and looked up at the man who was moving to the center of the crowd. He was tall, with a brawny built to his body. His face was stern and eyes were intense. Couldn't be any younger than 45 for lines of stress and seriousness creased his face.

Matt didn't recognize him. He had never seen him at training during the summer with Tripp or at any of the meetings before, so it peaked his curiosity that this guy acted like he was the leader of this group.

The man walked over to Matt and loomed over him.

"Matt, I presume."

Matt looked at the others, but none of them returned his gaze. He didn't budge from his spot. He turned his attention back to the man standing before him and nodded.

"Yeah, that's me."

"I don't believe we're formerly met," he held out his hand. "I'm Steven, I believe you knew my partner."

Matt looked at him uncertainly, but reluctantly shook his hand.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I don't believe I know who you're talking about?"

"Bill Forbes. He said you were friends with his daughter."

Matt looked at him shocked.

"Come," Steven motioned, "We have much to talk about."

* * *

"AHHHHHH!" Caroline screamed.

The sun incinerated her skin. Tears ran down Caroline's face, the pain too unbearable.

"No! Please! Stop! Please stop! Please!"

The window latch closed, shielding her from the sun.

"I don't hurt anyone, I swear. Dad, I swear," Caroline begged. "I can handle the urges. I can."

"If you could handle it, this wouldn't happen."

Bill walked towards her and held out a blood bag in front of her. Caroline's eyes instantly turned red and the veins under her eyes protruded. Every part of her screamed to seize it from him and sink her teeth into it. Bill snatched the blood bag away, proving his point.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Caroline cried, her eyes returning back to normal.

Bill looked at her with pity.

"I'm conditioning you to associate vampirism with pain," he explained. "In time, the thought of human blood will make you repress your vampire instincts completely."

"That's impossible," she whimpered. "Daddy, you can't change who I am."

"Yes, I can."

"No."

"You remember this feeling."

Bill moved back to the chain leverage behind her.

"No! No! No! No, no!" she begged, but Bill took the chain in his hands and tugged, uncovering the blazing sun once more.

The sun scorched her skin, reopening the blisters that had tried to heal. Smoke emitted off her back, arms, and thighs. Yellow and red sores covering her body. Caroline could feel the sun tearing at her skin, making her skin peel.

Bill closed the window opening again and went back to Caroline. She laid limp, eyes still puffy from crying, mascara smudged. He could already see the boils on her body trying to heal themselves again.

He sat in front of her, full of remorse.

"Let's try this again, okay?"

Taking the blood bag again, he held it out in front of her and studied her reaction. Caroline tried to control her urges, suppressing her desire to lunge at it. But she hadn't eaten since yesterday, so the moment she got a whiff of the bag of blood, her eyes turned ravenously red.

Bill sighed, upset, putting away the blood bag again.

"I'm trying, Daddy, I swear," she begged. "Just please stop doing this."

"I know you are, but the blood has too much control over you."

Bill walked back to the chain, ready to open the hatch.

"No! No! No! Please don't, Daddy! Please don't!"

Bill pulled the chain again, releasing the sun's merciless light. Caroline shrieked, blood trickling down her flaking skin, stinging her open cuts. Blood oozed from her wounds.

She didn't know what hurt more, the sun burning her skin or the fact that her dad was doing this to her.

Although Bill had abandoned her, she still got to see him every now and then for a lunch date or a movie together. Certainly more than her mother. Up until then, Caroline had been closer to her father than she was with Liz. So though he wasn't around much, he always managed to send her gifts on her birthday and Christmas, and always attended her cheerleading competitions. She could always count on her dad to be there for her.

But at this moment, she could feel her heart breaking.

It hurt more than feeling the sun beat down on her, hurt more than the vervain that clogged her lungs, hurt more than the burns that tore at her skin.

_Why was he doing this to her? Why?_

He was still her father, and she was still his little girl. Even if she was a vampire now, her unconditional love for her dad would never waiver.

But her heart throbbed for every second, every minute, and every hour she saw the disappointment in her father's eyes when he looked down at her. She had failed him. She had let him down, and that hurt more than any werewolf bite. And every time he held that bag of blood in front of her, she could only feel the hopelessness overwhelming her as her instincts took over. And every time she failed, she was punished by the ruthless sun and her father's frustration.

She wasn't strong enough. She was weak.

Just as she was a weak human, she was a weak vampire. And nothing broke her heart more than seeing the disappointment on her father's face when he decided that he hated vampires more than he loved his own daughter.

* * *

Elena woke up from her nap. It was almost eight, and still no call from either of the Salvatores. She looked around the room, and saw that Matt still hadn't returned. Checking her phone, Elena saw she had received a message from Tyler.

Opening it up, it read:

**Tyler:** Went to get a change of clothes and to shower, be back in 20 minutes.

Locking her phone, Elena sighed looking back at her sleeping blonde friend.

_Guess it's just you and me, Care._

Moonlight seeped through the open blinds, illuminating the dark room. Getting up from her bed, Elena walked over to the windows and looked outside. It was oddly quiet. Not a whisper in the air. She proceeded to shut the blinds of each window. When she arrived to the window next to Caroline's bed, she could see tears running down her face.

**_Bill sat at the corner of the cell, looking down at the ground. Silence filled the room. For hours they had gone at it. Bill would open the hatch, Caroline would burn, he'd close the hatch, show her the bag, and her eyes would turn red. It was a relentless cycle that only added to Caroline's pain and Bill's frustration._**

**_Caroline weakly lolled her head forward, numb to the pain that had been inflicted all over her body. _**

**_Bill finally spoke._**

"**_I want you to know, when Carol called and told me about you, I sat down and cried," he confessed, concealing his face._**

"I don't need to be fixed," Caroline whimpered. "I can't be fixed."

"What?"

Elena looked at Caroline surprised, those were the first words she had spoken since passing out. Elena stooped next to her friend.

"Care, I'm here."

**_Bill knelt next to her, resting his hand on the back of her chair._**

"**_I've always taught you to try your best," he urged. "I need you to try your best now."_**

**_Pulling out the blood bag before her once more, Caroline turned away trying to suppress her cravings. But she could smell the sweet, sweet scent of blood sloshing in the bag._**

**_"There, see, you're doing it."_**

"I can't," Caroline yelped.

"You can't what, Care?" Elena asked confused.

**_Bill held the blood bag closer to her face willing her to fight it._**

**_"Yes, you can," he pressed. "Fight the urge."_**

"Care? Care? Are you okay?" Elena asked concerned.

"I'm starving," she cried.

**_"I know you are, Care. Try."_**

**_Bill brought the blood bag even closer to her._**

**_The scent of blood was driving her mad, she couldn't keep fighting it._**

"It's okay, Care, I have blood!"

Elena ran to the mini fridge and pulled out one bag of A-positive blood and held it out to her.

"Why?" Caroline wept. "You know that this isn't going to work."

**_"It has to work," Bill asserted. "It's the only option."_**

"What do you mean?" Elena pulled the bag of blood away from her.

"Why are you trying to fix me?" Caroline sobbed, fresh tears flooding her eyes.

**_"So I don't have to kill you."_**

Caroline's eyes darted open, deep red encircling her dilated pupils. Fangs extended from her lips. Caroline sat up, taking heavy breaths as she choked back her tears. Elena backed away slowly. Something wasn't right.

Caroline rubbed at her face, trying to stop the tears, but they just kept rolling down her cheeks. She jolted out from her bed and stalked towards Elena, eyeing the bag of blood in her hands. She needed blood. She needed blood now.

"Care," Elena said hesitantly. "Care, are you okay?"

But Caroline couldn't hear a word she was saying, just the sound of the blood lapping against the flimsy plastic bag.

She needed it. She needed it now.

Caroline lunged at Elena, knocking her to the ground. She viciously grabbed the bag from her grasp, and sank her teeth into it letting the sweet red elixir consume her. When she had sucked the bag dry, she let it fall effortlessly to the floor and stood up in silence.

Elena pulled herself up on her elbows, "Caroline–"

"I need to go home," she said quietly.

"You can't," Elena looked at her sadly. "You have to stay here."

"You don't understand, I need to go home now," she said more firmly.

"You'll die," Elena exclaimed.

She went to grab her arm, but Caroline dodged her and vamped to the opposite end of the room.

Elena studied her face. Blood dribbled down the edges of her mouth, but her eyes were full of terror. She tried to move closer to her, but every step she took, Caroline took another back. She looked absolutely terrified.

_But why?_

Elena cautiously looked behind her to see if someone was there. But there was no one, just a closed door.

_What was Caroline so afraid of?_

**_Alaric strode towards her, the white oak stake in his hand. Caroline fumbled with her car keys, trying to find the right one. He was getting closer. His steps becoming louder._**

**_Thud. Thud. Thud. _**

**_His shoes padded against the cement._**

**_His dark eyes staking her like daggers. She had to get out of there fast, she had to warn her friends that Alaric was still alive and he was out to kill them. But why couldn't she find the right key?_**

**_Alaric dashed towards her, slamming her against her car. He wrapped his hands around her frail neck, ready to snap it._**

Elena zoomed towards her, resting her hands on Caroline's shoulders and said urgently, "It's okay, Caroline, I'm here. Let me help you."

Caroline shrieked, twisting Elena's neck with a crack. Elena's body fell to the ground with a loud thump.

Tyler barged into the room, hair still wet from his shower.

"What's going on?"

He looked down at the motionless body.

"Elena?"

He looked up at the body hovering over her.

"Care!"

**_Alaric shoved her into a desk, trapping her. He stabbed her hands with wooden pencils._**

Caroline screamed and ran towards the door, trying to get past him, but Tyler grabbed her arm, and pushed her back into the room. He could see the fear in her eyes.

"Care, what's wrong?"

Caroline violently shoved him away, crashing him against the wall, knocking the breath out of him before zooming out of the room. Tyler coughed as he struggled to catch his breath. Reaching for his phone, he dialed Stefan's number.

The phone rang on the other line until a voice finally answered.

"Tyler?"

"Yeah," he choked. "We have a problem."

* * *

Caroline dashed out of the room. She had to get away, had to get away before she could get hurt. Every heart ache, and every gun shot, and every bite, and every burn she had endured was coming back to taunt her. It was ripping at her, opening up things she had tried to stow away.

She escaped out Whitmore's front doors and took to the streets, zooming past countless cars that hardly noticed her. Running through the fields and maneuvering through the trees, she ran and ran and ran, but it seemed like her fears were catching up.

**_He let go of her trembling hands and headed to the door. Picking up his box belongings, he disappeared from her sight. She watched her dad walk out their white front door all over again._**

**_The thud of his steps leaving the front porch echoed throughout the house until the sound of an engine running resonated through the empty hall as the car pulled away from the driveway. Liz crumbled to her knees, sobbing at the open door._**

**_Caroline came running down the stairs, nearly tripping over her feet. She looked down at her mother who continued to cry. Caroline wanted to comfort her mother. She could fix this. She just had to._**

**_She left her mother's side and ran out the door and into the street chasing her father's car. Her feet pounding against the slippery cement, bits of rubble scraping her bare feet._**

"Please don't leave me!" she begged as she willed herself to run faster. "Daddy, please don't leave me!"

**_But the car disappeared into oblivion._**

Caroline stopped, staring at the empty street.

_What was she doing?_

Her father was gone. He'd been gone for a year now. But this time, she would never see him again. She couldn't visit his house in Georgia anymore, couldn't anticipate a gift from him on her birthday, or see his face for another one of their lunch dates. He was gone. He was gone forever.

Caroline stood in the barren road, staring mindlessly into the distance, a single tear falling from her eyes.

**_Turning around, the werewolf man stood behind her, a sinister grin on his face._**

Caroline backed away.

**_He held up a gun and shot several shots into her side, the wooden bullets penetrating through her flesh._**

Caroline yelped, bending over.

"Why are you doing this to me? Why?" Caroline screamed.

Pressing her hand against her invisible wound. She turned and scrambled away before he could shoot her again.

**_The sound of gunshots echoed behind her, hitting at her heels. But she refused to look back. Refused to face the terrors that awaited her. She just ran faster. She had to get away._**

**_Running through the field, she bumped into someone._**

She fell to the ground, confused, but was overcome with relief when she saw who she ran into.

"Thank God, Damon."

**_But Damon wasn't as happy to see her as she was to see him. He furiously grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out into a dark and open field away from the rest of the party. She tripped over her feet as he continued to aggressively yank her away from prying eyes._**

"Don't! She took it off and I got flustered, okay?" Caroline turned around to face him, and plead. "I didn't know what to say. But I swear, okay? I did not tell her. I just told her that you didn't mean to hurt me."

**_Damon had an angry look that frightened her. He quickly covered it up and put on a fake smile. He whisked behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, calming her with a swaying motion._**

"**_You make me crazy, you know that?" Damon seductively whispered in her ear. "It's okay, I forgive you."_**

Caroline said meekly, "I swear, I didn't say –"

**_"Sssh, sssh," he hushed her. "It's okay."_**

**_He continued to soothingly rub his hands around her waist, making her melt under his touch as they continued to sway back and forth under the stars._**

**_"Unfortunately," he coos. "I'm so over you now."_**

**_Caroline felt him stab his teeth into her neck, digging them deeper and deeper into her skin._**

"Get away from me!" she screamed.

**_She shoved him away, making him stumble back. His eyes were furiously red, veins pulsating from underneath his eyes._**

Caroline dashed away.

_Not again. Never again._

She had to get away. She had to get home. She _needed_ to go home.

So she sped in the direction of Mystic Falls, trying to outrun her worst nightmares.

* * *

Damon and Stefan rushed into the dorm room, almost breaking the wooden door from its hinges. Elena laid limp in Tyler's arms.

Damon rushed to her side studying her, he turned to Tyler.

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine," Tyler replied. "What took you guys so long?"

Damon went to answer, "We, uh–"

"We got caught up in a little trouble," Stefan answered exchanging a look with his brother.

Now was not the time to talk about their little adventure in New Orleans. It would have to wait.

"Well, Caroline's long gone," Tyler informed them.

"Do you know where she was headed?" Stefan asked.

"No, I have no idea," he admitted. "She slammed me against the wall and rushed out before I could stop her."

Stefan rubbed his forehead frustratingly.

"She could be anywhere by now."

Elena suddenly jolted up, taking a deep breath of air. She touched her neck, still feeling the kink in it. She would never get used to that.

"Elena!"

Damon went to help her up.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," she shooed him. "We need to find Caroline!"

"We don't know where to look for her," Stefan said.

Damon moved to his side, slightly bruised by Elena's rejection.

"A crazed vampire on the loose at Whitmore College," he said. "She's going hurt someone."

"No, I don't think she's here," Elena said.

"Then where?" asked Tyler. "Where else would she go, it's not like she can go to–"

Tyler paused as Elena looked at him and nodded.

"Oh shit, she's going to die the moment she walks through that border!"

"I know, I know," Elena acknowledged. "That's why we have to get there before she does."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here."

Stefan headed towards the door, and everyone else followed.

"I know a few shortcuts we can take to catch up to her," Damon said as they rushed down the stairs. "We can cut her off before she gets to the border."

They rammed out the door, and into the parking lot. Jumping into Damon's car, they sped out of Whitmore and headed to Mystic Falls.

Elena stared out the window fidgeting with her hands, anxiety creeping at her.

There was no way she was going to lose another friend. Caroline didn't deserve this. Caroline didn't deserve any of the terrible things that happened to her. And as her best friend, Elena knew it was her obligation to do whatever it took to save her. After all, she had no doubt that Caroline would do the same for her, just as she did for others countless times. They had to save her, they just had to.

But then a thought came to mind that unsettled her. She looked around the car. Damon sat in the driver's seat, Stefan in the passenger seat, and she and Tyler in the back. They were all here, but Elena couldn't shake this feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Something was missing. _Someone_ essential to saving her blonde friend's life.

Elena started to panic.

"Wait. Where's Klaus?"

* * *

**As you have noticed, I have decided to include Kai and his family in this story. It was hard to mesh them into my story line, but after a long day at work and pondering on the mysteries of TVD, I found a perfect way to mend them in. Plus, Kai is such a sarcastic ass. I love him. But, of course, things won't go exactly as they were shown in TVD. This is mostly because there are a couple things I am unsure of with the whole story line like 1) How did Kai even know about the magical border in Mystic Falls? I don't recall Damon or Bonnie telling him about it, or anyone else in the show (someone please tell me if I'm wrong) and 2) How could Kai absorb the Traveler's magic while within the Mystic Falls' border if the spell prohibits the magic of witches? Unless you're trying to tell me that Kai being born with his strange ability is just another loophole to this? I don't even fucking know anymore.**

**What do you guys think of Matt now? Do you think his actions are understandable? I mean, it made sense to me. Before Stefan and Damon came along, Elena even said, "Nothing bad ever happens in Mystic Falls." So can you blame him? I leave that to you, my readers.**

**And Steven... I didn't know how to picture him, a gay vampire hunter? How often do you ever hear that? I'll make him a badass gay vampire hunter with a crossbow that shoots rainbows and sparkles as he rides his winged unicorn. Yeah. That sounds just about right. I think I can make this happen.**

**Just kidding.**

**No worries, leave this guy in my hands. I always wondered why they never introduced him in the show, especially after Bill died. I guess it's up to the viewer's imagination and you guys are about to see that soon.**

**I hope Caroline's half hallucinations and half reality section wasn't too confusing. I tried to make it obvious when she was hallucinating. I thought it was about time she be partially awake while hallucinating like they did with the other characters on the show. So tahh-dahh. I tried to recall a lot of the events I mentioned in the previous chapters. **

**Forgive me for not including any Klaroline fluff in this chapter, I'M SORRY. I think partially why this chapter was so hard to write was because there was no Klaroline fluff I could look forward to writing. But it's okay, the time will come eventually! There's a whole bunch of stuff I still want to cover about their relationship, so be patient my klarophants.**

**I guess this leads us to this chapter's question:**

What terrible thing do think will be befalling our characters?

**Thanks for reading and reviews, as always! Feel free to leave feedback or just chat with me!**

**The next chapter will blow. your. fucking. MIND.**


	6. Chapter 6 The Promise

**Hey, guys.**

**So it's 2:20AM here and I'm just updating my story now. Sorry I didn't update within a week as I promised before, got a little caught up with the Christmas festivities and I came across a little hiccup in my story. Luckily I was able to fix that minor problem. And to make things even better, my twin sister got me a "Team Klaus" shirt for Christmas *internally fangurls over the TVD Klaus. Best. Gift. Ever. Anyways, I'll save the rest of my ramblings for after the chapter, so stay tuned!**

**As a reminder from last chapter: BOLD AND ITALISIZED represents Caroline hallucinating. **

**Alright, have fun reading!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters, if I did, Klaus and Caroline would be banging every episode on TVD.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: The Promise**

Matt sat alone on the velvet couch fiddling with his fingers nervously. He had reluctantly followed the strange man who called himself Steven out of sheer curiosity and the fear of what he might do if hadn't.

_Was this really the guy Caroline's dad dated?_

The question continued to rack at his mind. Memories swirled of Caroline's father, Bill, and how she mentioned the two of them lived together all the way in Georgia. But if that was so, what the hell was he doing in Mystic Falls? Undoubtedly he probably heard about Bill's untimely death, but that was over two years ago and Steven ended up being a no-show at the funeral service.

Steven walked over to where Matt sat, and took a seat on the leather black recliner next to his before setting his drink on the wooden coffee table in front of them.

"I imagine you probably have a lot of questions," the man spoke.

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "A lot actually."

"Alright," Steven leaned back on sofa. "Go for it."

"Um..."

Matt didn't even know where to begin. There were just so many things he wanted to ask and frankly, he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear all he had to say. He'd have to make a mental note of everything so he could let the rest of his friend's know of his discovery later. He wet his lips and began.

"Well, for starters, how do you know who I am?"

"Well, besides what Bill told me. Tripp talked a lot about you," Matt looked at him surprised as he continued. "He said you trained all summer, and that you were very dedicated. You always put in extra mileage each day, a born leader, and one of the most promising members of the bunch."

Matt guessed that made sense, Tripp did say that the members trusted him, and Tripp had even trusted him enough to reveal his whereabouts with vampires. But that still didn't explain how Steven knew he had known Bill.

"How did you know I knew Bill then? It's not like we've met before," he pushed.

"I saw you at his funeral service."

There was silence.

Matt couldn't recall seeing him at the church, nor at the burial. Everyone was convinced he didn't show up because the sheriff and her daughter were present, but who would've known he did come? It's not like anyone else knew what he looked like. Well, besides Caroline and Liz, of course.

"Believe it or not, I was present," Steven continued. "I came to pay my respects to Bill."

"Oh, I see."

Steven leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees.

"But I also came to check on something."

Matt looked at him questionably.

"Before going to the funeral, I went to the hospital to check Bill's cause of death," he stated. "The documents read that just two days before his death he checked in with suspicious wounds, they were described as 'animal-like', several gashes that cut down his body."

Matt looked at him guiltily remembering the night Tyler called him, saying he almost killed Bill during a transformation. Steven pressed on.

"He was admitted to Doctor Meredith Fell. There were no notes to what procedure she had underwent, just that all his wounds were completely healed the following day."

Looking straight at Matt, he said in a grave tone, "So tell me, how does a man leave the hospital unscathed after a brutal animal attack only to be dead by nightfall?"

Matt gulped.

"_Vampires_."

He nodded, looking away.

"I figured as much. After all, Bill and I first met at a Council Meeting, so you can trust me when I say I already know the devastation that comes with those foul creatures of the night." Turning his gaze back to Matt, he asked, "I presume you already know about the Council's whereabouts with vampires."

"Yeah," Matt confessed. "You could say that."

"Good."

Steven got up from his seat and started pacing the room with his drink while Matt sat nervously on the couch.

"When my suspicions were confirmed, I asked myself: Who would cover up his death? Who had the authority to do that? And why didn't they investigate further or try to put a stop to it? Then, I came to the conclusion," Steven stopped pacing, looking back at Matt and he said sternly. "You're council has been compromised."

"Wait," Matt held his hands in a halt as he tried to piece together what he was saying. "How can you be a part of the Council if you're not a member of one of the Founding Families?"

"Very smart," Steven grinned, pleased by his knowledge. "You are correct. I am not a member of the Founding Families." He paused as his grin grew, "Well, not in Mystic Falls at least."

He took a sip of his drink.

_Wait._ _There are more councils?_

"You can't seriously think that there was just one council left to deal with the vampires, right?" he questioned as if reading Matt's mind.

"Then which council are you from?" Matt asked. "Some city in Georgia?"

"Indeed," he chuckled. "I am a member of one of the Atlanta Founding Families."

* * *

Kai stared moodily at Bonnie, who tried her best to ignore his glare as she read a book. This had been going on for hours. Ever since she had stored her magic away in Mr. Cuddles and sent him back to Mystic Falls, Kai had resented her for letting go of their last chance of getting out.

"You know glaring at me isn't going to bring you back to the present," she said as she mindlessly turned a page.

Kai gritted through his teeth.

"Well, if you hadn't pulled your little stunt, you'd be with your friends right now and I'd be wreaking havoc on my coven."

"Well, I guess it's a shame my magic's gone," she replied calmly. "Looks like we're stuck here forever."

Kai scowled and got up. He started to pace in front of the fireplace, trying to think of a million ways to kill Bonnie and another way out of this hell hole.

After Bonnie sent her magic away, Kai dragged her all the way back to the Salvatore boarding house where he held her hostage. By morning, Bonnie had woken up and went about her day as if she weren't stuck in some alternate universe with a moody sociopath. She made pancakes, went grocery shopping, and now she was lounging on a couch reading a book.

Kai, on the other hand, was not taking things lightly. Watching his one chance to return home slip right through his fingers after 18 years of waiting only further enraged him. He was so close. He was so. Damn. Close. And now his one key to getting back was not only smugly reading a book and making smiley face pancakes, but was also, very much, magic-less.

There had to be a way. There just had to be another way for them to get out without her magic. They had the Ascendant and her blood, they just needed magic. But where the hell were they going to find that?

Kai stopped pacing and glanced back at the now ex-witch. They were stuck in a never ending celestial event, maybe she could draw her power from the eclipse?

"No," Bonnie bluntly said.

"What," Kai grimaced. "You didn't even hear me out on my idea!"

"I don't have to, I already know what you're thinking," she rolled her eyes.

"Is that so," he challenged.

"Yes, it is so," she countered. "You think I can channel my magic from the eclipse, but that's not how it works. I _need_ magic to do that. So no."

Kai huffed in frustration and sat back down on the couch across from her, resuming glaring at her as she continued to flip through her book.

"Maybe this is a good thing. For you at least," she continued. "This is your chance to redeem yourself. To become '_brave, loyal, and patient._'"

"Could you drop it already?" he groaned. "I would've said anything to get you to bring us home at that point."

"Well, I'm not as gullible as you thought," she sneered at him. "Did you really think I would take you back just so you could murder your family?"

He laughed to himself.

"That's cute," he said sarcastically.

Bonnie turned away from her book and frowned at him.

"You think you're so self-righteous, don't you?" he chuckled. "Go ahead, and think whatever you want, but you don't even know half the story to why I did what I did."

"Fine," she slammed her book shut and slapped it right next to her as she swung her legs over so her feet were planted on the ground and her elbows rested on her knees. "Enlighten me, then," she challenged.

Kai did the same, excited to socialize.

Leaning forward, he began, "Well, it all started when I was born. I had a twin sister, you know?"

"So creative," she said mockingly. "Let me guess, the Gemini Coven is only twin witches exclusively."

"Very funny," he frowned. "We're called the Gemini Coven because only twins can lead the coven. My dad had a twin, my grandpa had a twin, my great grandpa had a twin. You get the point: a lot of twins."

"And?"

"And when my twin sister and I were born, we were supposed to be next in line to lead the coven. One small problem though," he held out his index finger. "There can only be _one_ leader."

Bonnie looked at him suspiciously.

"As tradition in my Coven, when a pair of twins reach the age of twenty-two, they must merge as _one_."

"Wait, what?" Bonnie looked at him confused.

_What did he mean "merge"?_

"The twins battle it out and whoever wins, consumes the other's power."

"You mean–"

"Kill the other twin and take their power," he grinned.

Bonnie was shocked, she barely contained her voice when she yelled, "WHAT?"

* * *

_A member of the Atlanta Founding Families._

Matt was still appalled that there were more councils like Mystic Falls who knew about the vampires. It was a game-changer, a revelation, it gave Matt hope that there were people who would help them to put an end to the vampires' reign of terror.

But something seemed off.

"If you're here to save us," Matt asked. "Why haven't you done anything yet?"

Bill had been gone for almost two years now, and if Steven wanted to bring order back to the Council, why hadn't he? Surely the man had a plan to get the Mystic Falls Council back up and running. What was holding him back?

Steven thought for a moment before he answered, "There was a problem…"

Matt looked at him questionably.

"When I met with the head leaders in an All-Council meeting to ask them to investigate further into the whereabouts of Mystic Falls, a priest from New Orleans came barging in requesting our assistance. He informed us that a vampire tyrant was ruling over New Orleans with an army of those blood sucking demons. He wanted us to aid in exterminating the infestation."

"Well, don't you guys have a council there to keep things in order?"

"Unfortunately, no. New Orleans was one of the few cities we were unable to establish a council in."

"Why not?"

"Needless to say, the fools wanted to live peacefully alongside the demons," Steven scowled. "They wanted to share the land with those–those _monsters_!"

He spat on the ground repulsed.

"_Disgusting_," he grit his teeth. "They made a compromise with them that they'd turn their backs on their whereabouts as long as they didn't feed on the locals and didn't hinder the flow of wealth into the city. A compromise they've had with those creatures for over three centuries now."

A city where vampires and humans live peacefully together? It sounded a lot like something one of those Miss Universe contestants would say in a speech. _End to world hunger, a stop in animal abuse, and world peace with vampires._ It was too good to be true. Matt scoffed. New Orleans was living proof that harmony between humans and vampires was impossible.

"So the Council decided to study the status of the New Orleans' predicament," Steven continued. "I was one of the council members asked to explore further into the matter, in return the council had Pastor Young to take over the Mystic Falls town council after a man confirmed our suspicions that there were, in fact, vampires amongst them."

Matt remembered how Alaric had fessed up to the town council about how Liz and Carol had been protecting Tyler and Caroline, and the rest of their supernatural friends. Pastor Young had suspended their duties on the council and had taken up the leadership role to help eradicate the vampires by capturing Caroline, Stefan, Elena, and Rebekah.

"I spent some time in New Orleans, observing their council function, and after a time it seemed simple enough to rid them of those vampires," he explained. "The leader, Marcel, made all the shots. His pathetic army of misfits answered to him and only him. But without him, they were just that. Nothing. Black sheep in the community, didn't know how to get by in life unless someone else was telling them how to live it. It was simple: Kill Marcel."

"But it wasn't that simple, was it?"

Matt knew better. After his experience of all the crazy supernatural events that had happened in the past three years, he knew that things never went as planned, and they never turned out the way they were supposed to. There was nothing predictable when it came to the supernatural, absolutely nothing.

"No, it was not," Steven affirmed, rubbing his knuckles. "A couple months later, before we were going to make the attack, the priest informed us that the Original vampires had arrived."

_Klaus, Rebekah, and Elijah_.

"We knew that these vampires would be harder to kill. Pastor Young had informed us that the only way to kill an original was with a special weapon," Matt froze as Steven went on. "A weapon that was carved from magic and only they had in their possession."

_The white oak stake._

"Pastor Young had failed to retrieve that weapon and bring an end to those demons, so we didn't follow through with the attack."

Steven allowed Matt some time to gather his thoughts as he tried to process all the information he had given him. It was a lot to take in. But Matt was still confused. How did he plan to help them? Surely he knew of the non-magic border that surrounded Mystic Falls so no vampires could step foot inside.

"And that's why I came here," Steven broke Matt out of his thoughts and looked at him intensely. "There's a magical weapon hidden in your town. I tried to research what it might be, but no journal entries revealed what it was. Just that a strange woman came to your town a few years before the first council was established, offering it as a gift. No one knows what it does, but the woman said it would provide _protection_."

He had never heard of it. Though many of his friends were members of the Founding Families, none of them ever mentioned a secret weapon hidden in Mystic Falls, nor did their parents. If such a weapon existed, why didn't the Council use it against Klaus and his family back then? Why was it kept hidden if it could've saved them? More questions began to bombard his mind. But what puzzled Matt even more was what this had to do with him. Why would Steven risk telling him all these things? He wasn't a member of the Founding Families, hell, he wasn't even remotely related to anyone in the Founding Families. He was just an ex-high school quarterback working as a busboy at the local bar. What could he do?

"I need your help," Steven said.

"How?" Matt asked. "I don't even know where this thing is."

"Don't worry about the location, I've got that covered," Steven assured. "All I need you to worry about is the key."

_The key?_

"How the hell am I supposed to find the key?"

"That's the beauty of it, I already know where it is."

Matt glanced at him confused.

"Then what do you need me for?"

"I need you to retrieve it."

"Ok…" Matt slowly nodded.

It sounded too easy. But why would he send him on a mission that he could easily do himself?

"When the weapon was given to your council they didn't know what to do with it at first," he elaborated. "They didn't trust anyone with it, not even their own people, so they split it up between the four leading families. The key is with the Fo–"

One of the squad members rushed into the room, with a phone in his hand.

"Sir, we have received a call from Robinson that there's a vampire on the loose."

Steven immediately turned away from Matt and got up from his seat.

"How close?"

"About half an hour away from the border," he reported.

"Alright, show time, Matt," Steven said, beckoning him forward. "This is your chance to prove that everything Tripp said was true, you ready kid?"

Matt stood next to him and nodded.

He could do this, he knew he could. This was his first step towards protecting the people he loved and the people of this town. One step closer to becoming stronger and killing Enzo.

"One more thing, sir."

"Yes?"

"Robinson reported that the vampire had peculiar movements, may be deranged or unstable."

"Understood."

Steven nodded and the member left the room.

He placed his heavy hands on Matt's shoulders and looked sternly at him.

"We'll finish this talk later. But right now, I need you to focus on the mission at hand."

Matt nodded.

"I want you to capture this vampire, but don't kill it. I need it alive so we can find out where more of its blood sucking friends are. You understand me?"

"Yes, sir."

He roughly patted Matt on the back, as they headed out of the room.

"Atta kid, let's go catch ourselves a vampire."

* * *

**_Consume the other's power._**

_What kind of sick people would allow that to happen_?

Bonnie was completely repulsed by the thought.

"Yes, merge," Kai smugly grinned. "Making the winning twin, the strongest witch in the Coven."

"So what happened? Why didn't you do the merge with your sister?"

"When my father realized my ability to absorb other witches' power, he was disgusted. He wouldn't allow me to merge with my sister. He knew I could just suck as much power as I wanted from anyone and easily overwhelm her. Or just take her powers in general. He would never allow such an '_abomination_' to lead the coven."

"Oh."

Kai looked down at his feet, digging them into the carpet.

"So, he kept having kids with my mother until he finally had another pair of twins so they could perform the ritual instead," he gritted his teeth. "But the ritual can only be performed with one set of twins alive, so the other pair has to die before they can do the ritual."

Kai's eyes met Bonnie's. She could see the rage burning in them.

"He was going to kill us once those twins turned twenty-two. He was going to kill his own flesh and blood for the coven. Typical dad," he muttere. "Always putting the coven before his own family."

Kai turned his gaze from her and picked up a dagger from his pocket. He fiddled with its point between his fingers. Bonnie nervously watched him twirl it in his hands.

"So I did what any sane person would do in my shoes," he said. "I killed my siblings."

Bonnie's eyes grew wide.

"It's not like my father cared for them, he just wanted the twins. So I slaughtered every last one of them, and I was saving those twins for the grand finale until my stupid twin sister decided to hide them from me."

"You're disgusting. Why would you even do that?" Bonnie blurted. "You're just proving your father's point that you're not fit to lead the coven."

He laughed and stood up, he walked over to Bonnie and loomed over her, daring her to say more.

"I tried to prove myself to my father many times when I was younger. I tried to practice magic like everyone else, but was only met with disappointment when he realized I didn't have the same powers. And then disgust when he found out I could take other's magic. I was of no use to him, so he wanted me dead."

"Well, what about your sister?"

"She didn't know of my father's plans," he scoffed. "She was oblivious to it all. All she knew was that I was the psychopath killing her brothers and sisters just so I could be the leader." He chuckled to himself, "Silly, sister."

"And you didn't think to tell her?"

"She never had to face my father's hatred because she was 'normal'. She was self-righteous and selfless, she would do anything for the family, probably even give up her life."

Bonnie looked up at him uneasily, taking in everything he said.

"So that's it: if we get back you're just going to kill the rest of your family, merge with your sister, and lead the coven?"

Kai's malicious smirk grew as he knelt down so he was eye-level with her.

"No," he said barely over a whisper, "I won't just kill my family." He laughed. "I'm going kill my whole coven."

Bonnie's eyes grew wider. This guy was a monster. She was stuck with a psycho maniac willing to murder his whole family. There was no saving him, no redeeming him. When they got back, that is if they did, he would just finish where he left off in his reign of terror. Bonnie couldn't allow that, even if she thought their methods were wrong. She couldn't allow witches to be killed for this guy's morbid amusement.

"That way," he grabbed her book and lounged back on his seat with his feet resting on the cushions. "No witch will ever be as strong as me."

He smugly opened where Bonnie left off in her book, and started to read as she stared at him uneasily.

She had to get out of here. She had to get away from him. But how?

* * *

Caroline continued to run down the road towards Mystic Falls. No cars rushed by, only the cold wind that ran through her messy locks. She trudged into the forest, the moon's light seeping through the tiny spaces in between the leaves and branches. Her werewolf bite continued to eat at her. Struggling to keep her footing, she tried to trudge through the forest with dragging feet. She clutched every tree she could, trying to find balance with every step. Her bare feet sinking into the damp bark ground.

"**_What's going on?" Caroline walked up to Elena and Bonnie._**

**_They looked at her, not sure what to say. The two of them exchanged glances at each other before looking back at her._**

"**_Why am I not a part of this conversation?" she frowned. "You guys do this to me all the time."_**

"**_That's not true," Elena cut in._**

"**_Yes, it is," Bonnie blurted._**

**_Caroline looked at her hurt._**

**_"I can't talk to you. You don't listen," Bonnie exclaimed._**

**_Caroline was offended, "That's not true."_**

"**_I'm a witch."_**

"**_Don't we all know that," she sarcastically replied._**

"**_See!" Bonnie exclaimed, Caroline looked at her ashamed. "That's what I'm talking about. I'm trying to tell you something. You don't even hear it."_**

Caroline kept walking, until she stopped at the sound of slamming lockers and squeaking sneakers.

"**_I don't like you," Matt said bluntly._**

**_They were standing in the middle of the school hallway._**

**_"I never have."_**

**_Caroline stood there frozen as he walked away leaving her to stand _**

She stumbled over a protruding root before crashing into a tree. She held onto the scratchy bark, pulling herself up.

"**_Where is it?" Damon ran up behind her._**

**_Caroline turned to face him, "Bonnie won't give it to me."_**

"**_So rip it off her neck," he demanded._**

"**_I tried," she explained. "But it shocked me."_**

"**_Damn it," Damon looked away from her, muttering to himself. "Why does it do that?"_** **_He glared at her. "I need that crystal."_**

**_"Why are you like this?" she whined. She held the edges of his leather jacket before softly replying, "I'm so good to you and I'd do anything. It's just some stupid necklace."_**

**_"No," he pulled away from her. "You're the only stupid thing here." He started to walk away but stopped and added, "And shallow. And useless."_**

A pang of pain surged through her side making Caroline collapse at the foot of a tree, she yelped. Her hands and knees scrapping the ground.

**_Caroline began to walk down to the cellar. The narrow steps, creaking under her feet._**

**_"Can you keep Caroline far away from me please?" _**

**_She heard her mother's voice from outside the door. _**

**_"I don't want to see her."_**

**_Damon glanced at Caroline outside before turning back to Liz._**

**_"She's your daughter, Liz."_**

**_"Not anymore," she said, "My daughter's gone."_**

Caroline lay curled up in a ball, pressing her hands against her wound whimpering.

"I'm still your daughter," she cried, "I'm still Caroline, I swear."

She could feel the venom pulsating through her veins with every pump, poisoning her body with every surge. But then she could hear the rustling of feet in the distance. She could hear them loading their guns, the sound of wooden bullets sliding into a metal shaft. She tried to pull herself up, suddenly alert.

The men came out of the trees, surrounding her in every direction, guns armed and loaded. The venom continued to weaken her as she hauled herself up so she could look at her attackers.

So this was it. This was how she was going to die.

So much for an eternity.

* * *

Matt and the troop stalked through the forest. They were informed that the crazed vampire had ran into the woods, just a few miles away from the border. Steven commanded that Matt go with fourteen other members into the woods to capture the vampire and reminded him not to kill it.

So as the troop trekked through the forest, they began to hear the wails of a maiden. The dark shadow of the night enveloped the forest, the trees covering the moon's light. They could hardly see the young maiden laying under the tree.

_What was she doing?_

She seemed to be pressing her hands against a wound.

_Had she been attacked?_

The front of the squad moved in, pushing past the branches and surrounding the peculiar creature. Matt stayed behind, ready to jump into action to surprise the vampire.

She looked so frail and weak, but Matt knew better than to trust appearances. Looks were deceiving, especially when it came to vampires. He knew what these creatures were capable of. They wouldn't even think twice about tearing into someone's neck.

They aimed their guns, ready to shoot. The woman slowly sat up, facing her attackers. They were unable to see her face, but they could hear a soft snicker as she pulled herself up. She looked at the attacker in front of her, the moon revealing her hungry red eyes. They took a step back.

Matt could see the guy she was looking at shaking as he tried to keep his aim on her.

The vampire lunged at him, ripping at his neck as the man screamed. One member shot at her with their crossbow, but she easily caught the arrow. She let go of her victim, still in shock, and hurled the arrow at the leg of the person who had tried to shoot her. The man wailed.

More shots were fired, but the vampire zipped right through them, the bullets never reaching their target. She grabbed one of the shooters arms and twisted it, forcing them to drop their gun. Taking the man's gun, she butted another attacker that came from behind, giving him a bloody nose.

The sound of gun shots filled the air.

The vampire chucked the gun so it knocked another guy out. Taking a branch she brutally batted their legs, many of them to fell to the ground as she smashed their bones. Another member tried to stake her, but she easily kneed him the gut.

Matt watched her astonished as she took out each member one-by-one. Something was strange about this one. Though she had injured many, she didn't once kill any of them.

Matt kept his aim at the vampire, waiting to have his shot. It was hard to shoot her when she kept vamping from one place to another.

But while she was twisting another member's arm, Matt took aim and shot.

**_BANG!_**

The bullet plunged into her thigh. The vampire yelped. Matt shot again.

**_BANG!_**

He got her in the knee making her tumble forward. The remaining members who were uninjured rushed forward and threw a rope net over her, engulfing her whole body. She hissed and ripped at the net trying to break free, but the net was coated in vervain.

A member pulled out a vervain dart and shot her back twice, silencing her. As they moved forward to tie the net securely around her and drag her back to the vans, another vampire lashed out. Roughly shoving the members away, he knocked them into trees before making his way to the vampire. He tore open the black net, ignoring the sting, and pulled her body out. The small increments of moonlight that seeped through the holes of the forest made it difficult to identify who it was. But Matt swore he saw a flash of dark blonde hair, or was it brown? He wasn't sure.

The members tried to shoot at him, but the vampire had already zoomed away.

Matt froze in place when a thought crossed his mind.

_Wait._ _Did I just shoot Caro–_

"Come on, Donavan," a member tugged at him. "We have to get that vampire!"

Matt put an arm ahead, halting him.

"No, they could be anywhere by now. We are in no position to take down two vampires."

He looked to the rest of the members and ordered, "It's best we head back. Gather your weaponry and help anyone who's injured, we need to report back to Steven."

The squad began gathering their things and then started heading back. Matt followed.

Of course. Why hadn't he seen it? The darkness of the night had shielded his vision, but he should've known the way the girl pressed her hands at her side.

**_Maybe deranged or unstable._**

She was hallucinating wasn't she? The werewolf venom was making her hallucinate. Somehow during the time between he left Whitmore to the time he arrived at Mystic Falls, she had woken up and gotten away.

Matt stopped in his tracks, looking back towards the direction the vampires had left. He felt ashamed. To think, he almost handed one his best friends over to be tortured and questioned. He felt an empty pit of guilt well inside him when he realized he shot her.

He turned away and continued walking as he mumbled, "I'm so sorry, Care."

* * *

**_BANG!_**

A wooden bullet punctured into her left thigh and she yelped. She let go of the man who had tried to shoot her when she heard another shot.

**_BANG!_**

Another bullet delved into her knee making her fall forward.

Her attackers ran forward and threw a heavy net over her. Caroline pried at it, but soon realized it was doused in vervain, viciously stinging her hands. She hissed. A pair of darts punctured her back.

It was game over. This was it. She was going to die. If her captor's torture didn't kill her, the werewolf venom would. Either way, she was dead meat. Nothing could save her now.

"Ahh!" a few men yelled as they were shoved against a tree. All of a sudden a man rushed to her side tearing the net apart and pulling her free. Wrapping his arms around her protectively, he rushed away just as bullets were being shot.

**_Caroline ran through the hallway frightened. The uncanny silence only amplified her anxiety as she whipped her head back-and-forth. Alaric could be anywhere right now, he could kill her at any second._**

**_Suddenly she was being yanked away, a hand clasping around her mouth. Caroline wanted to scream as her heart jumped. She breathed heavily._**

"**_Sssh," the man hushed her. "It's okay, it's okay. It's me."_**

**_Caroline turned to look at him. It was Klaus. What was he doing here? Alaric could find him and kill him now that he had the white oak stake in his possession._**

**_Klaus removed his hand from her mouth and looked down the hall, before turning back to her._**

"**_It's okay, you're safe."_**

They stopped in a clearing when they were a good distance away. Caroline's heavy breathes slowed. She immediately fell back, but he caught her, holding her up from behind. Caroline whimpered, inching her fingers towards her wounds. She tried to dig out the bullets, but she was too weak. He reached his hand down and gently plucked them out.

Caroline seethed in pain as the venom surged through her. He set her down, so the back of her head rested on his chest. She looked at him dazed.

"Are you going to kill me?" she said weakly.

"**_On your birthday?" he looked guiltily. "Do you really think that low of me?"_**

Caroline thought for a moment before responding.

"Yes."

**_Klaus didn't reply. Instead her walked over to her bedside and pulled down her blanket so he could examine her bite. She shivered under his touch._**

"**_That looks bad," he said regrettably. "My apologies, you're what's known as collateral damage. It's nothing personal." His hand moved towards her bracelet, and he lightly tapped a charm and smiled, "I love birthdays."_**

"Yeah," she scoffed. "Aren't you like, a billion or something?"

**_He chuckled at her response. _**

**_"Well, you have to adjust your perception of time when you become a vampire, Caroline. Celebrate the fact that you're no longer bound by trivial human conventions. You're free."_**

"No," she choked. "I'm dying."

**_Klaus sat down on her bed, careful not to hurt her, but his eyes remained solely on her alone._**

**_He said softly, "And I could let you die, if that's what you want. If you really think your existence has no meaning."_**

Caroline stared at him, confused that he was telling her all this. The man held her up, but she couldn't decipher his face.

"**_I thought about it myself, once or twice through the centuries, truth be told," he leaned in closer. "But I'll let you in on a little secret."_**

Caroline's eyes grew with curiosity.

**_"There is a whole world out there waiting for you. Great cities, and art, and music." He fiddled with her bracelet before looking back at her. "Genuine beauty." _**

**_He sat up. _**

**_"You can have a thousand more birthdays. All you have to do is ask."_**

Caroline looked at him in disbelief.

She thought back to the times when she thought if she didn't exist, everyone would be happier. Times when she thought that if she hadn't been born, maybe her mom and dad would still be together. That maybe if she wasn't around, her mom wouldn't have to work double shifts to help pay for two mouths to feed. Because maybe if she wasn't alive, her friends wouldn't always have to worry about her. She couldn't count how many times her friends had to risk their lives to save her just because she was some damsel in distress being held captive and unable to defend herself. She just thought that maybe if she was dead everyone would be better off without her. That maybe she really was stupid. And shallow. And useless.

But she didn't want to die.

That's what was stopping her from ending it all, what was keeping her from walking out into broad daylight without her ring, what was keeping here from stabbing a wooden stake through her heart.

She wanted to see it all. She wanted to experience all the world had to offer and more, but growing up as a small town girl, her goals and dreams were limited to small town things. But listening to him talk about music, art, and culture thrilled her, the thought of going on adventures to see every inch of the world only added to her wanderlust.

She didn't want to die. Hell no. Not when there was so much she hadn't seen yet, so much she had yet to experience. She hadn't reached her full potential yet and she knew it. She wanted to be everything she wasn't able to be when she was a human: _strong _and_ brave_.

As tears began to well in her eyes, she stared back at him and said, "I don't want to die."

**_He seemed relieved by her answer. He rolled up her sleeve before pulling her body closer so he had his arm wrapped around her shoulder. He extended his arm to her mouth so she could feed._**

Caroline looked at him uncertainly.

**_"There you go, sweetheart. Have at it."_**

Caroline drank the blood, letting it heal her. Suddenly her hazy mind was cleared, her senses sharpened. She could hear the patter of squirrels running up a tree three miles away, she could hear the whisk of the wind winding through the trees, and the slither of snake gliding underneath the fallen leaves.

It was intoxicating the way the blood made her feel alive although her body was long dead. Its magic electrified her nerves and had her heart pumping. Every gulp reviving her.

The ache from the bite ceased and her skin mended itself back together. And just as the last drop of blood rolled down her throat, she put down the glass flask.

She sighed in relief that the nightmare was over.

He saved her... again. Just as he did before.

"Are you okay, Caroline?" Stefan asked.

Caroline stiffened.

_Wait. Stefan?_

"Uh, yeah," she turned to look at the person she was resting against.

Instead of a blonde blue-eyed hybrid, she was met with a brown-eyed Stefan. He helped her up so they were both standing. Caroline still looked at him shocked and confused.

_But didn't Klaus sa–_

She looked down at her hand where the glass flask was. It was tinted red and held the sweet aroma of his blood. He must've given Damon and Stefan a flask of his blood to send to her. She continued to stare at the empty flask.

**_I will walk away and I will never come back._**

**_I promise._**

Stefan pulled out his phone and called Damon.

"I found her and gave her the blood. She's fine now."

He nodded as Damon spoke to him through the phone.

"Alright, I'll see you guys back at the car."

Caroline stared dumbfounded at the ground as Stefan walked over to her. He rested a hand on her shoulder observing her mood.

"Hey."

She broke from her daze and looked back at him.

"Hey," she replied.

"Come on, let's go," he moved his arm around her to help her walk. "The others are waiting for us."

Caroline nodded and followed.

She'd be lying if she said that she wasn't disappointed. She was so sure Klaus had saved her, or, more like she hoped Klaus would've been the one to save her. After all those hallucinations and all the pain she just thought maybe, just maybe, he'd be there when she woke up from her nightmare. Because for whatever reason, every time a bad memory came to pass, thoughts of him always seemed to soothe her, calm her. His presence made her feel stronger, like she was capable of so much more, that she could take over the world if she wanted to. The thought that he'd come to save her, and that he'd be there when she woke up gave her strength to endure the werewolf bite.

"Oh my gosh, Care!" Elena ran up to her and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay?"

She nodded and gave a small smile, "Yeah, I'm fine."

"I was so worried about you, and you were so close to the border. You could've died!"

"It's okay, I'm fine," she assured.

"It's good to see you're better," Tyler smiled as she walked to her.

Caroline pulled him into a hug. He winced.

She pulled away and looked at him worried, "Did I do something?"

Tyler patted his chest, "You might've slammed me against a wall while you were hallucinating."

Her eyes went wide, "I am so sorry, Tyler!"

"It's no biggie."

"Alright, can we save the heartfelt reunion for later?" Damon butted in. "There's still a vampire hunting squad on the loose, it'd be best if we got back to Whitmore before they come hunting for us."

They all agreed and reluctantly got into the car and started heading back to Whitmore. Tyler and Elena filled her in on what happened while she was passed out. But their words all seemed to mesh into one as her mind continuously turned back to Klaus. She flipped the empty glass in her hands as her thoughts continued to wander towards the hybrid.

_Stupid hybrid and his stupid blood and his stupid promise and his-his… just…_

She didn't know whether to be glad he kept his promise, or mad that he didn't come to save her. Either way, he was going to receive an earful the next time they saw each other.

_Stupid Klaus, you should've been the one to save me._

* * *

**DON'T HATE ME. I know, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY. I know I kind of misled you guys to believe that this would be the chapter that Klaus and Caroline would finally be reunited. After all those hallucinations and all that fluff, I crushed your dreams in one chapter. I'M SORRY. I figured some of you would catch on from chapter 5 when Elena realized Klaus was not present with them. And if not then, you'd catch on once you realized Caroline was hallucinating him (*hint*hint bold and italicized). **

**I just want to let you guys know, originally that was the plan: for Klaus to save Caroline again. It was going to be all romantic and heartwarming. But then I started thinking (God forbid) that that's not how it should happen. Klaus really doesn't seem like the type of guy to come swooping in to save the day and be Caroline's knight in shining armor cause he's not a hero, the graduation episode being an exception. **

**If you watch The Originals, then you know, right now our beloved Klaus is very OOC at the moment. He cries a lot, sulks over his man pain, and has serious daddy issues. And as much as I hate to write him like that, I can't just make him drop whatever he's doing to save her. When I think of Klaus and Caroline reuniting, I imagine a lot of angst, sexual tension (you don't just walk away from hot-sex like that), frustration, and sassiness (mostly on Caroline's part). When they reunite. I want Caroline to be pissed, annoyed, and as sassy as ever so she can whoop Klaus' crybaby ass back into his bad ass self. **

**So yeah, my story was going to stop right there when he saved her. Just the end. Tah-dah. **

**But I decided that was lame as fuck. So if you guys would please forgive me for my misdeeds, I promise to you, I will make their reunion worthwhile. I swear to you! KLAROLINE WILL BE ENDGAME. But for now you must wait. All I ask is for your patience. I've always been one for the build up, though agonizing as it is, it makes the journey of them coming together more genuine and exciting. SO PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON MY FANFIC.**

**Anyways, so I added some background info on our little friend, Steven. I thought about the different councils on TVD and TO, and how they differ. So I thought, wouldn't it make sense if there was a council in each state on the east coast. I chose the east coast mostly because it's more rich with history and fits the timeline I want to focus on, so we'll see more of that later. **

**I tried to connect the whole Pastor Young thing with Steven, just so his actions mend well with everything.**

**Yes, I have included Bonnie in this story. What's TVD with out our independent black witch? I altered Kai's family history a little and his coven's tradition a little. I just thought it was weird how Kai wanted to kill Liv and Luke when neither one of them wanted to do it in the first place and would willingly let him do the ritual instead(ish), so now I've given Kai a motive to kill them. Hope you guys don't mind.**

**Lastly, I just wanted to remind you guys these past six chapters are all in the course of one day (a day and a half if you add the first half of chapter one into it). I realize they're a lot of things I left out, and I'm hear to say, the next chapters will fill in those spaces like: What happened while Stefan and Damon were in NOLA? What's going on in NOLA? Why didn't Klaus come back to MF to save Caroline? and so much more. And that's still all in the course of one day (and a half).**

**We've seen everything from Caroline's view. Time to see it from Klaus'**

**I still need to catch up on The Originals before I write the next chapter though, so I might not update till next next week. **

**But as always, thanks for reading! **

**Here's this chapter's question(s) to ponder over:**

Why was Kai in Mystic Falls to find Damon and Bonnie, when he's from Oregon?

What do you think brought him there?

**PLEASE SHARE AND REVIEW! Have a happy new year, guys, and pray for Klaroline for 2015!**

**Follow me on twitter: klarophant**

**Follow me on tumblr: carolineishislast**


	7. Chapter 7 Champagne is Their Thing

**HEY GUYS!**

**HAPPY NEW YEAR! Let's all have a prayer for Klaroline in 2015.**

**Anyways, I ended up updating a lot sooner than I expected considering I was catching up on The Originals season 2 this week. Forgive me if this chapter is a little shorter than what I've been putting our recently. I just wanted this to serve as a basis to set up what will be going on in the next couple chapters. So after reading about all the Mystic Falls shenanigans, it's time to see what's up in NOLA. We've seen things from Caroline's point of view, now it's time to see from Klaus'. Prepare for some good ol' family drama between our favorite original family.**

**And stay tuned for my rant about the Originals.**

**I'd like to warn you guys that this story has a lot of spoilers from the show, so you might want to catch up first before reading this... but if you really don't care, read on. I will try to explain everything thoroughly throughout my story. It leaves off right where season 2 left off in the mid-season finale.**

**Anyways, ENJOY!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters, if I did, Klaus and Caroline would be feeding each other beignets...**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Champagne is Their Thing**

New Orleans, the largest city in Louisiana and one of America's major trading ports along the east coast. With a population of roughly 300,000 inhabitants, its mix of diverse people from every corner of the Earth makes New Orleans easily the most unique city in the United States. The two Salvatore brothers would find that that piece of information would be their downfall.

It had been well-over an hour since Stefan and Damon had arrived in the Big Easy. According to Tyler, Klaus lived off the skirts of the French Quarter on a plantation farm. But after checking every household surrounding the area, they were still hybrid-less. The only place that seemed to fit Tyler's description was a two-story white mansion that had been burned down a year ago.

"This is impossible," Damon groaned as they continued to roam the streets. "How the hell are we supposed to find this guy? He could be anywhere!"

"Could you tone down the negativity a little, Damon? It's not helping," Stefan frowned. "Try giving him another call."

"Oh yeah, because he's going to answer after my THOUSAND other attempts." He began to mimic the answering tone, "'_I'm sorry, but the person you're trying to reach right now is not available. Please leave a message after the tone… **BEEP!**_' Hey, Klaus. Would you stop being an ass and answer my calls because your beloved Caroline is hours away from dying. Much love, Damon. **_BEEEEEP!_**" Damon rung in Stefan's ear, before he swatted him away.

"Ok, I get it! We're having a _little_ trouble finding him."

"A little!" Damon yelled. "That's got to be the understatement of the century. We've checked six different mansions, compelled just about every person we could get our hands on, and still no sign of the bastard! '_Little_' doesn't even encompass half of the trouble we've gone through today."

"Well," Stefan sighed. "We can't give up. Caroline needs us."

Damon grumbled under his breath, walking past Stefan.

"And where do you think you're going?" he called.

"I need a drink," the dark-haired brother yelled back. "How else am I supposed to survive this insanity?"

Stefan followed after him, walking under a hanging wooden sign that read: _Rousseau's_.

Damon pushed through the doors and took a seat at the bar. It wasn't quite like the one back in Mystic Falls mostly because it lacked the modern design that the Mystic Grill had, but it would do. The booths looked like they were back from the late 1900s, but were oddly in perfect condition, and the wood looked aged, chipping in some areas. Behind the counter were shelves of bottles from wines, to champagnes, to whiskey, and vodka.

Stefan sat up at the stool next to him and rested his arm on the counter.

"You do realize we're wasting time by being here, right?"

"No," Damon grinned at him. "I'm multitasking."

The bartender came over to them with a smile.

"What would you gentlemen like today?"

"I'd like a glass of your finest Bourbon, and while you're at it," Damon leaned over and grabbed his collar. He looked into the bartender's eyes, "Why don't you tell me all you know about Klaus Mikaelson?"

"He drops in once in a while to have a drink," the bartender answered entranced.

"Is that it?" Damon compelled.

"Yes."

"That'll be all." Damon let go of his shirt and sat back down on his stool, nodding towards his brother, "Get him a glass of Bourbon too."

The bartender nodded, fixing his collar before leaving to retrieve their drinks.

"Was that really necessary, Damon?"

"No," he admitted. "But you can't say I didn't try."

The bartender returned and placed their drinks on napkins. Damon swirled the golden liquid in his glass before taking a sip. Stefan sighed and did the same.

"So you're looking for Klaus Mikaelson," the man next to him said.

Damon set down his drink and glimpsed at the guy next to him. He had broad shoulders, lean arms, and dark skin.

"Yeah, do you know him?" Stefan answered, studying him.

"Depends," the man glanced to the side to look at the two brothers. "Who's asking?"

"Well, who's answering?" Damon growled.

He was already getting annoyed with his cool-guy façade. If he had answers about the hybrid, he better spill the beans before he ripped his head off.

Stefan placed a firm hand on Damon, willing him not to make a scene. He turned back to the man.

"I'm Stefan, and this is my brother, Damon. Klaus is an old friend of ours," he explained.

"Funny, Klaus has never mentioned you guys before," the man snickered as he took a drink.

Damon clenched his fists, but Stefan still held him back.

"We've had some…troubles in the past," he admitted. "But we're here for his help."

"What kind of help?"

"We rather keep that information to ourselves."

"Why hide it?" the man pried. "Judging by your brother's little stunt with the bartender, I can see you're not exactly subtle. Besides, I know you guys aren't human."

Stefan's eyes widened, giving Damon the opportunity to stand up. The man did the same. Standing face-to-face, they glared at each other.

"I know you're a vampire, Damon," he said in a low voice. "But I'll let you guys on a little secret. _I am too_."

Stefan let out a breath of relief and pulled Damon back down to his seat. The man sat back down as well and resumed drinking his glass.

"So let's try this again," the man said. "What do you want with Klaus?"

"We need his blood," Damon spat.

"Our friend got bit by a werewolf and–"

"Klaus' blood is the only cure for a werewolf bite," the man finished.

The brothers were surprised that the man knew that piece of information.

"Alright, I'll take you guys to him," the man agreed. "But on one condition."

Damon rolled his eyes.

_Of course, there was always a catch._

"You have to help me find his sister."

"Why?" Stefan asked. "What happened to Rebekah?"

"It's a long story," the man said. "But it's less finding, and more retrieving to be honest."

"Trouble finding an original," Damon muttered. "Gee, join to the club."

He ignored his comment and continued, "We have reason to believe she's imprisoned by witches in another person's body."

"Wait, what?" Damon said confused. "How'd she get herself in that mess? Who'd she piss off this time?"

"It doesn't matter," Stefan said drinking the last of his bourbon and getting up. "He can tell us all about it while we go get for her."

The man smiled. Damon looked at his brother appalled.

He quickly grabbed Stefan's arm and spoke under his breath, "Are you serious? We're going to help this guy? We don't even know for sure if he knows where Klaus is!"

"I know, Damon. But this is the only lead we have to finding him. The more time we spend drinking in this bar, the closer Caroline gets to dying," Stefan urged. "Now this man obviously knows Klaus and Rebekah, and it sounds like he has some alliance with them. So I'm willing to go on a limb here and help him if it at least brings us closer to finding Klaus."

Damon shook his head, "I don't like him. We don't even know his name."

"You don't have to like him, we just need to help him. So either you come with us to find Rebekah and see Klaus, or you stay here until I get back."

Damon pursed his lips in defeat, he grumpily gulped the rest of drink down.

"Fine, let's go find ourselves the original bitch."

The man smiled, leading the two of them outside the bar. As soon as they walked out, once again the Salvatores were met with the crowds of people that littered every street corner. But before embarking on their mission, the man turned back to Damon and Stefan.

"By the way, the name's Marcellus Gerard," the man grinned. "But you can call me Marcel."

* * *

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

Elijah scrubbed his hands under the running water of the sink.

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

The thick blood clogged between his fingers as it slivered down into the drain.

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

**_"Please! Don't do this!" the man begged backing up against the counter._**

**_Bodies littered the diner, mangled ligaments sprawled over the tables, and blood spilled on the floor._**

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

**_Elijah stalked towards him with ease, ignoring his petty pleas for mercy._**

**_He was going to harm _****her****_. He couldn't allow that happen, he wouldn't. Nothing could touch her. Nothing _****would**** _touch her. Not when Elijah was there to protect her._**

**_"Please!" the man screamed again._**

**_Elijah stopped in his tracks._**

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

As the last of the blood seeped from his hands, he calmly dried them with a paper towel before looking at his reflection. Blood splattered the side of his weary face, red droplets lingering under his chin. Lifting up his handkerchief, he lightly dabbed them away.

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

**_The man stared at him frightened, eyes wide and breathes heavy. Elijah could make out the sound of his heart thumping. The quick thrum of every beat. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Ba-bump. Each pump sending a gush of blood surging through his veins._**

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

**_Elijah hadn't wasted his time on dispatching the others. He simply went about killing each and every one of them. A plunge of his arm, and he ripped out their hearts. A swift stomp on their backs, and he shattered their spines. A bite from his fangs, and he tore out their throats. But this one, this one he was saving for last._**

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

He wiped away the last of the blood that covered his face.

There. He was clean. But something seemed off.

He looked down at his suit and saw the damp blood that covered him. Stains of red masked him from head-to-toe, seeping through his clothing and touching his skin.

He pressed his fingers against the stains.

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

**_Elijah closed his eyes and took a deep breath, taking in the tantalizing scent of blood._**

**_When he opened them, they were deep red and starving for a taste._**

**_The man caught his breath in fear at the sight._**

**_"What kind of monster are you?"_**

**_An evil grin danced on his lips, revealing his sharp fangs ready to puncture the man's plump skin._**

**_"I am no monster," Elijah chuckled. "I am an original vampire."_**

**_The man shivered._**

**_Elijah suddenly lunged forward and sunk his teeth in the man's neck. The man yelled and screamed thrashing against the original, but he bit down harder, snapping the man's neck so he hung limp in his arms as Elijah continued to drain him._**

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

Looking back at the mirror, Elijah could see his blood-shot eyes and veins protruding. His reflection grinned back at him, lifting up its hand, it licked the blood that enveloped them. Elijah looked back down at his. They were covered in blood as well, as if he hadn't washed them in the first place.

His reflection chortled.

Elijah frantically started to wash his hands again, trying to wipe away the blood. Blood seemed to ooze from his hands endlessly.

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

Taking handfuls of paper towels he tried to cease the flow, but it only soaked them with thick red.

The laugh grew louder.

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

He began to rip at his skin, scratching away the stains.

_Rub. Rub. Rub. Rub._

The laugh was booming now, echoing in the small bathroom.

Elijah clawed at his skin uncontrollably. Tearing and tearing and tearing and–

**_RRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG!_**

* * *

Elijah jolted up breathing heavily, sweat rolled down his bare chest. Running his hand through his hair, he tried to compose himself. When his breathes slowed, he sighed.

_Thank goodness, just another hallucination._

It had been over a week since Klaus had rescued him from Esther, though he was safely away from her prison, her words continued to haunt him in his dreams every night.

**_RRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG!_**

He looked around the room. The walls were washed with maroon, with heavy grey curtains that hung over the windows, and old wooden shelves that towered against the walls.

"Elijah, answer the phone," Hayley groaned, stirring beside him.

He looked down at the brunette that lay naked next to him, the white sheets barely covering her exposed back. He smiled at the remembrance of what had conspired between them last night. But the ring of his phone tore him away from his thoughts.

**_RRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGG!_**

He stepped out of bed and pulled on some pants, before answering the phone.

**_RRRRRRRIIIII–_**

"Hello?"

"Ah, brother," the voice on the other line greeted. "I see you've finally woken up."

"Klaus," he answered.

"None other."

Elijah rolled his eyes.

"Any news on Rebekah?"

"No, not a word. We tried to do a locator spell, but it seems she's being cloaked by some other force."

"So she's with witches?"

"I presume so," Klaus agreed.

_What could the witches possibly want with their sister?_

"I also have reason to believe that Kol is behind all this."

"Kol? What makes you think that?" Elijah asked confused. "Did he not bring back the White Oak Stake after mother's spell?"

"Indeed, he did. But he was the one that prepared the body for Rebekah to jump in, and yet somehow we are conveniently unable to find her," Klaus' voice became very grave. "I fear he is conspiring against me again."

Elijah began to pace the room, trying to think of a solution.

"Don't do anything drastic, brother. We can't lose his allegiance if we are to defeat father and Finn, we _need_ him on our side."

"I will not allow him to play these silly games with me while our sister is hidden somewhere," Klaus growled. "I will kill him as many times as possible until he–"

"I realize you're upset, but we cannot allow him to know that we are aware of his schemes," he interrupted. "Its better if we unravel it ourselves and find Rebekah without his help. What is Marcel up to right now?"

Klaus scowled at the change of subject.

"He told me he'd dig further into the girl who Kol said was the body he prepared for Rebekah to jump into. Her name's Angelica E. Barker. Ring any bells?"

Elijah shook his head, "Not that I know of."

"Same, but Marcel seems to believe he knows where she might be," he explained. "So while he handles that, I'll be speaking with the wolves and Jackson later this afternoon."

"And what of I? I've been cooped up in this house for far too long."

"It's not safe to bring Hope back just yet, so I need you to continue to watch over Hayley and her until we know what father and Finn are up to."

Elijah was shocked.

"This is ridiculous. I should be there helping you fi–"

"Yes, I know you want to help, brother. But after what Rebekah told me, I think its best you stay there where you can't draw too much attention by killing a whole diner again. Mother's witchcraft could still have a hold on you."

He cringed.

He should be there with his brother rallying up the werewolves and helping Marcel find Rebekah, not locked up in a safe house in Arkansas. As much as he enjoyed his break from the harsh realities of their supernatural predicaments, he did not want to stand by while his family did all the work. He wanted to be there with them. But he couldn't, not while his mind was plagued with horrific memories every night.

He reluctantly agreed.

"Alright. But keep me updated."

"Of course."

* * *

Klaus hung up his phone. Just as he was exiting his call, his home screen opened up and flashed notifications under phone calls. Tapping on the icon, the screen opened up to a list calls. Klaus frowned after reading it.

The screen read:

**38 missed calls and 12 voicemails from Damon Salvatore.**

Did the older Salvatore really have nothing better to do than harass him? He must really want to die.

What did he want this time anyways? Klaus figured it probably had something to do with Elena. It _always_ had something to do with the doppelganger.

But why would he call him? He had no use for her anymore. Her whereabouts were nothing of his concern anymore. Now that Elena was a vampire, her blood was useless to him. But what further seemed to annoy him was the fact that the Salvatore even had his number.

How did he even get it in the first place? The only person he gave it to outside his family was Caroline.

**_Caroline._**

The name made him smile. He hadn't thought about the beautiful blonde since their last encounter. He had been so preoccupied dealing with the Harvest Girls, the raging war, and his parents, that there was just no time to think about traveling the world and eternal love when demons were always knocking at his door.

He wondered how she was doing, if she was enjoying college or planning a school event, or if she met a guy, and if so, he thought up at least a hundred ways to kill him. He wondered if she was okay, following through with her plans, preparing for her future, and going after her hopes and dreams without him.

She must have given his number to Damon and the rest of the gang considering he didn't recall sharing it with anyone else besides her. Although it annoyed him that they seemed to think they could just beck and call when they pleased to ask him for help for their petty needs, he was just content his number was on Caroline's phone.

He chuckled to himself when he remembered how that came to be.

* * *

He remembered walking into the Mystic Grill, a theatrical winter wonderland. Decorated with fake snow, sparkles, and holiday cheer. It wasn't hard to find her. She stood in front of his painting, studying his postmodern snowflake.

_How coincidental._

He figured she was purposefully standing there to catch his attention, probably playing a distraction for him so her friends could do their shenanigans behind his back. Not very clever on her friends' part, after all, he'd figure it out sooner or later. But for now, he'd have fun with her until the inevitable. He walked towards her.

Her perfectly wavy blonde hair shined under the lights, one part pinned to the side while the rest curled behind her shoulders. She wore a white cardigan with a strapless beige dress and silver dangly earrings. She was truly a piece of art.

She turned and looked at him, her glistening blue eyes meeting his. He smiled back at her. They hadn't seen each other since their _date_ back at the pageant.

"Here to steal Tiny Tim's crutches?" she joked.

"Dicken's was a dark man," he smiled stepping closer to her. "You would've liked him."

Caroline made her way around the table so there was a gap still between them as if they were dancing around each other. She was avoiding him.

_Perfect._

The chase made it all the more fun.

She turned back to him and said, "Nice snowflake by the way."

He looked at his painting and back at her, raising his arm, he said, "Is my work really that literal?"

"No, I'm serious. There's something…" she paused to look into his eyes. "…lonely about it."

They exchanged glances before he replied, "I'm going to take that as a compliment. Can I offer you some champagne?"

She turned from him and started walking away, Klaus pursuing behind.

"Can't, too many adult prying eyes," she faced him again. "Don't want to be a high school cautionary tale at the next town meeting."

"Well, then it's a good thing the high school part is nearly over."

They looked at each other for a brief moment, Klaus staring intently at her.

He always showered her with attention. He didn't want to waste any moment he had with her, not when being around her made him feel this way. She tried to hide her smile.

"If we're going to be nice to each other, then I will need that glass of champagne."

His grinned and walked closer to her, closing the gap.

"Is that our thing?" he teased.

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, but a smile still tugged at her lips.

"We don't have a _thing_."

Grinning wider he said, "Allow me."

He walked away to grab a drink. Taking a bottle of Pol Roger, he poured two glasses of its sparkling yellow shine before setting it back down. Taking the glasses in each hand, he returned to Caroline. As soon as he got back to her, he noticed how she put her phone away.

Handing her a glass, she took it and asked, "So how's the hunt for the cure going for ya?"

"That depends, how's Jeremy's tattoo of the map coming along?"

"Don't even get me started," she rolled her eyes. "Damon took him to Elena's parents' lake house with her and Bonnie so they could stop Jeremy from trying to kill his own sister."

"I see," he said. "I presume you're still dealing with the Elena and Damon problem."

"Yes!" she shoved him and he looked at her confused. "Why didn't you just tell me she was sired to Damon?"

He tried to suppress his urge to laugh.

"I knew no such thing, love."

"You're such a liar," she pursed her lips. "If you had just told me sooner she wouldn't have–"

She stopped herself.

"She wouldn't have, what, sweetheart?" he asked curiously.

Her face grew red and she turned away from his gaze.

"Nothing."

He gazed at her, enjoying how cute she looked when she was embarrassed.

"They had sex," he bluntly stated.

Caroline's eyes grew wide and her face even redder. She pressed her index finger against her lips, shushing him.

"Ssshh! No one's supposed to know that, Elena would kill me!"

"I highly doubt that," he chuckled to himself.

She frowned at him, Klaus still amused with her reaction.

"I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, not even Stefan. And now Elena's going to find out that I let you, of all people, know she did it with Damon!"

People near them stared at Caroline due to her loud and hysterical display. Klaus continued to laugh. Grabbing his arm, she yanked him away to a different area of the bar where there were less people.

"I'm serious," she glared at him. "You can't tell anyone. Especially not Stefan."

"You have my word," Klaus grinned before taking a sip of his glass.

She continued to glare at him as she took a sip of her glass as well. Pulling out his phone, Klaus checked his messages.

_Well, that's peculiar._

He was expecting a follow-up on his hybrids' whereabouts from Adrian fifteen minutes ago, but still no message. He scowled, he began to search his name on his phone so he could give him a call.

Caroline immediately noticed Klaus pull out his phone, but she still hadn't received the "OK" that Stefan had successfully retrieved the sword from Klaus' house.

_What if he was calling one of his hybrids right now? This call could ruin Tyler and Stefan's plan._

She had to stall him, but how?

"Wow," she said, Klaus looked up suspiciously. "I can't say I'd ever see this, but Klaus Mikaelson using a cellphone."

She pretended to be appalled while Klaus looked at her incredulously.

"Very funny, love. But believe it or not, I am caught up on the times."

"I must admit, I half expected you to be using one of those dinosaur phones that are like this big," she motioned with her hands. "And have an antennae attached that you pull out."

He frowned.

_Was she calling him old?_

Surely he was aware he was over a thousand years old, but for whatever reason, listening to her tease him about his age made him a little self-conscious.

"Well," he began. "Very few can say they've used just about every telecommunication device known to man."

"Well, that's cause most men don't live to be a thousand," she retorted.

"Their loss, not mine, love. But man truly has evolved from their early days of communication," he fiddled with his smartphone. "I used to have to telegraph Elijah extensive messages of our plans. You wouldn't imagine how troublesome it is to inscribe a message that long."

Caroline laughed, imagining Klaus furiously jabbing at a telegraph's knob before resorting to throwing it out the window.

"So what," she giggled. "Are you like the master of cellphones then?"

"I'll have you know, I've known how to use cellphones, since before you were born," he boasted.

"Oh, okay," she rolled her eyes. Almost instinctively she pulled out her phone.

Still no message from Stefan.

Klaus moved next to her and easily plucked her phone from her hands, and began to play around with the apps.

"Oh my gosh, Klaus!" Caroline squealed, "Give that back!"

She was horrified.

_What if he saw the messages from Stefan? Or what if Stefan sent her a message while he was playing with her phone?_

He skimmed through her photo albums, before tapping on a picture of her when she was two years old.

"Is that you, love," he teased. "I must say, you look adorable."

"Klaus!"

She blushed, flailing her arms over him so she could grab her phone, but Klaus kept it just out of her reach.

He continued to explore her photos, pulling up a picture of her in a red bikini at the watering hole with Bonnie and Elena their sophomore year in high school.

"I think I might send this to myself," he joked, allowing Caroline to view the picture.

Her mouth gaped in utter embarrassment.

"Pervert!"

"Evil, murderer, and sociopath, yes, but not a pervert," he corrected. "I prefer '_admirer of women's bodies_.'"

She lunged forward again to grab her phone, but Klaus easily held her back with one arm. He paused when he found one of her senior photos. She was all dressed up in a pink blouse covered with a beige cardigan, and a necklace hanging over her neck. Her hair was curled and she wore her award-winning Miss Mystic Falls smile in the photo. She looked absolutely stunning.

Caroline snatched her phone back.

"I think that's enough."

He smiled slyly back at her.

"You're the last person I would send pictures to, let alone message because one, I don't have your number anyways and two, I wouldn't want it either," she said matter-a-factly.

"Is that so," he stepped towards her.

She nodded, ignoring how close he was getting.

"Say one of your friends got bit by a werewolf, perhaps Elena, or Stefan, or maybe even you," he offered. "Wouldn't it be nice to have my number on speed dial to call whenever _you_ needed something?"

She scoffed, "If this your way of trying to get my number, I'll have you know you're failing miserably."

"Maybe," he grinned. "But it could benefit us both."

She frowned at him, trying to suppress her smile as he continued to smirk at her with that damn smile of his.

_Damn, his dimples._

She frowned.

_I mean, I guess it would be nice to have his number for future reference when they needed something, right?_

It's not like she was planning to text him every day or talk with him every night until she fell asleep. She would just have it for safekeeping.

"Fine," she slapped her phone in his hands. "But only for emergencies, you hear me?"

He chuckled, "Emergencies."

He handed Caroline his phone so she could type in her number. He did the same and handed it back to her content to see her name in his address book.

Caroline's phone vibrated with a message. She quickly reviewed it, it was from Stefan.

Looking back to Klaus who was already observing her, she said, "I've got to go."

"Alright."

She began to walk past him, but then turned to his surprise.

"Don't get any ideas, mister," she threatened. "_Emergencies._"

He smiled.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, walking away waving her hand.

"Bye, Klaus."

"Good-bye, Caroline."

He watched as she disappeared into the crowd and out the door.

* * *

Klaus' thumb hung over her name. He tapped it, his phone revealing all her contact information from her phone number, to her address, to her home number, and a picture of her. He enlarged the photo and smiled. It was a picture of Caroline at her graduation. While sitting in the bleachers, he couldn't help but snap a picture of her while she walked down the aisle in her red cap and gown, proudly holding up her diploma with the brightest smile on her face.

She had been calling him nonstop that day, but he had been already sitting there on the metal stands watching her graduation ceremony amongst the other friends and family that came.

He laughed at the memory of listening to her multiple voicemails after he got off the plane threatening "to come down to New Orleans herself and drag his original ass back down to Mystic Falls to save Damon." Her words, of course, not his.

_CRREEEEAAAKKK!_

The sound of the gate pushing open reached Klaus' ears. Swiftly locking his phone, he shoved it back into his pocket. Shoes padding into the courtyard echoed throughout the house. He could smell the distinct scent that came only from the bayou.

_Werewolves._

They may have been staying within the city for a while now, but years of living in the swamp lands of Louisiana cursed them with that stench.

Klaus left his study room and walked out to the balcony just above the courtyard where the wolves were gathered.

"Greetings, wolves!" he boomed with a smug look on his face.

A man with long brown hair cut through the crowd, who looked like the alpha. He would change that soon enough.

"Cut the festivities, Klaus," Jackson said. "We're here to talk."

Lifting himself over the railing, Klaus jumped down and landed gracefully in front of the pack.

"Alright then," Klaus strolled towards them. "Let's get down to business, shall we?"

* * *

**Hope you guys don't mind a short chapter for now. They will get longer, I swear, I just needed to establish some stuff.**

**1\. Damon and Stefan are on a mission with Marcel to retrieve Rebekah.**

**2\. Elijah is hallucinating (after all, this story is called "Hallucinations") and is watching over Hayley and Hope.**

**3\. Kol is conspiring against Klaus, I know that was very vague in this chapter, but I'll get more into depth in the next one.**

**and**

**4\. Klaus is rallying up the wolves to fight against Finn and Mikael.**

**Let's take a break from my story so I can rant about season two of the Originals... okay... brace yourselves...**

**WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK. Excuse my profanity. But seriously? What the hell is going on? I mean, there is a lot I can say about this show, good and bad things. So I suggest, if you haven't seen the show, don't continue this section because I will be giving up a bunch of spoilers.**

**For whatever reason, I just do not like Hayley as a hybrid. I mean, I didn't like her as a werewolf either, but I feel like her becoming a hybrid only amplified how shitty her character is... like holy shit, I just do not like her character. I also do not understand Elijah's infatuation with her, looking back at season 1 of TO, I see that it was so out of the blue and random and don't you fucking dare say it was "love at first sight" because that is such bullshit. I'd hate to bag on other ships, but wow... I feel like a lot of these ships the writer's literally just pulled out of their asses. Another thing, I don't understand is how the wolves are able to just forgive her and follow what she says. Werewolves hate hybrids just like vampires, maybe even more. From what I gathered from the shows, they're seen as an abomination, an impurity to what it means to be a werewolf. So good luck explaining that one.**

**I don't like Camille either... I know, it sounds like I'm bagging on all the female characters on the show, but seriously guys... what's the point of her character? I mean, I thought maybe she'd be like Matt on TVD who serves as the gang's anchor since he seems to be the only one to decipher right from wrong and plays the ideal "human" I guess. But my god, Camille is so terrible at being a human... like damn. One thing that really annoys me is her ability to literally jump out of bed with Marcel and then fawn over Klaus... that sends such a bad message about women, like really writers... and then when they try to play it off like her psychology degree is enough to **_**understand**_** Klaus. And don't even get me started on their little dance scene... *cough*cough You don't hear Klaus complimenting her dancing *cough*cough* Caroline did it better *cough*cough* But when she does say "There are good things", I'd like to think that Klaus thought back to Caroline and when they danced it only further reminded him of her. Maybe that's why he didn't kiss Camille's bitch ass.**

**With that said, I will attempt to redeem those character despite how shitty they are and how much I loathe them. Because I am a writer, I feel an obligation to each and every one of these characters. They all deserve a story that worth reading.**

**Moving on to Marcel. I actually like this character. He's the only new character that I've been introduced to since starting the show that I actually don't mind. I like the fact that Klaus raised him like a son, and that he took a lot of what he learned from Klaus and made something of himself when he had nothing. So yeah, he's cool. Marcel is A-OK!**

**Davina is meh... I think have this thing against younger people being a part of a show. Idk, I just find them annoying, which means I find her annoying. I don't like her voice, or the way she talks. I thought the whole story with the harvest girls was okay, but that's it. I might be biased because I absolutely love Bonnie Bennett and think she's the most badass witch there is, but idk, Davina's character just isn't that great.**

**I loved the TVD Kol, the snarky and malicious Kol. The Kol in TO is a little different. In the flashbacks, he's in character. But when he's in Kaleb's body, and Daniel is acting on behalf of Nathaniel, it just seems... off. I also don't think Kol would fall for just any witch, let alone a witch he's known for maybe a month or so... she looks too young for him... Plus, I may or may not ship him with another person, but that's another story.**

**That leads me to the body switching. I **_**hate**_** the body switching going on. I want Alice Evans playing Esther, Claire Holt playing Rebekah, Nathaniel Buzolic playing Kol, and Caspar Zafer playing Finn, like, is that too much to ask for? I want a reunion of the original cast of the original family. I want to relive the magic I saw in season 3 of TVD with the whole family lined up on the stairwell, like PLEASE.**

**So the story line is interesting I guess, it (finally) focuses on the original family. I like the idea of Esther having an evil sister that cursed the Mikaelson's firstborns and will come back to kill Hope. What I don't understand is why Klaus killed his real father... and then cried about it like a little bitch to Elijah after. The dude was willing to fucking help him and he killed him... I know Klaus is evil and all, but this season he's a whiny bitch. If you're going to be evil and kill your father, be a man about it and stick with being evil instead of crying about it later (ok, that sounded harsh... in no way do I support anyone to kill their father). Point being, Klaus is so OOC.**

**I cannot stress to you how OOC he is right now... like he'll do something badass, and then cry like a little bitch later... I'll fix him, I swear... he doesn't deserve to be with Caroline right now in his current state...**

**The crossover with Tatia was such a disaster. I literally learned nothing from that episode. They didn't explore Klaus' love for Tatia either, they only focused on Elijah's. The bitch kissed both of them the same night, like wtf. Pray the klaroline crossover isn't as horrendous as the Tyler and Tatia one… PRAY.**

**Possibly the only thing I enjoyed about this season was the flashback with Esther and Klaus when she teaches him how to dance. I don't know about you guys, but I immediately thought back to Klaus and Caroline dancing together *cries profusely***

**Anyways, back to my story...**

**I realized I have a love for writing Damon. He's actually really fun to write. He gets all the cheesy/snarky comments, it's great. It's even more fun when I get to write Stefan with him. They're just so much more fun to write about when they're not pining over Elena, like wow. Definitely look forward to writing more chapters with them together.**

**So yeah, I included a little Klaroline moment. It's not as big as the other ones I've written, but hey, gotta start small. I'm working my way up with these Klaroline scenes till we get to the big kahuna *wink* I always like to write them teasing and being playful with each other. Those scenes always make me sob from the cuteness. Plus, I mean, I seriously can't be the only one that wondered WHEN and HOW they got each other's numbers. I looked between episodes of them together and tried to decipher when it might've occurred. It had to be before the scene when she helps dig out the White Oak Stake from Klaus' back because he was "phone-stalking" her in that episode and it had to be after their date. So I figured, this scene fit the best.**

**Question of the Chapter:**

What do you think Finn and Mikael are up to?

**As always SHARE AND REVIEW!**

**Pray for Klaroline 2015!**

**Follow me on twitter: klarophant**

**Follow me on tumblr: klarophant**

**I'll see ya soon! (hopefully)**


	8. Chapter 8 The Night of Her Dreams

**HELLO MY KLAROPHANTS!**

**Boy am I surprised I actually finished writing this chapter... to say the least, I've been so busy this week. With the new quarter starting and trying to balance college classes and two jobs, like wow... It's been one hectic week for sure. I'll ramble later on after the chapter, but for now I need to say this BEFORE you read this chapter. Alright, so I'm going to tell you right now. This chapter will make absolutely no sense unless you've seen the Originals. I realized that I make a lot of references from both seasons and it's hard to explain everything they do in the story without getting off topic or rambling too much in the chapter. So, I will attempt to catch you up on all the important shit you need to know in order to understand my chapter. So if you wish to not have the whole TV series ruined for you (but honestly, the show does that itself) and you want to watch it all by yourself without me spoiling anything for you, by all means, go ahead. But for those of you who don't want to spend hours dying repeatedly watching that terrible show, I guess you can settle with my short list/summary of the shit you need to know. Alright, you have been warned.**

**THE (NON)ORIGINALS SPOILER ALERT!**

**1\. After miserably failing to kill all her children in TVD, Esther has settled with giving her children the opportunity to body-swap with a witch so they give up their vampirism. This has already been performed on Finn and Kol (who she resurrected into those bodies because there's were burned when they were stabbed with the white oak stake), and Rebekah (when she pretended to agree to her mother's terms, but couldn't stop the spell after it started).**

**2\. Finn and Mikael are on the loose right now, most likely working together.**

**3\. Kol and Davina are having a thing or something... idfk, but it's obvious she has a crush on him and they kissed, so yeah...**

**4\. Elijah has been having hallucinations (no I did not make that up, he actually is in the show and it just so happens that it conveniently fits with my story) after being trapped by Esther. In his hallucinations, in the show, it reveals he drained Tatia of her blood.**

**5\. Ansel is Klaus' real father that Esther resurrected before the Other Side was destroyed, but Klaus killed him when he realized Ansel knew that Nope was alive.**

**6\. Finn has an infatuation with Camille for whatever reason that I don't understand (how do you go from badass Sage, to annoying psych major chick).**

**7\. Kol and Davina are working together to get rid of Klaus. They're going to try to do this by using the perfect diamond (the paragon diamond) to concentrate their magic into turning a dagger to a silver dagger that they can use to put Klaus in a slumber since the normal ones don't work on him like they do on the rest of the originals.**

**8\. Marcel is trying to rebuild his army of vampires.**

**9\. Jackson is the alpha of the pack Hayley belongs to. Apparently they were born to be together or some shit.**

**And that's it, I'll spoil your guys more when I need be. But for now, that's all you need to know.**

**HAPPY READING!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, otherwise, the show would've been better.**

* * *

**Chapter 8: The Night of Her Dreams**

The sounds of hysterical laughter reverberated in her mind. No matter how hard she tried to make the laughter cease, the booming cackles unceasingly chortled. She pressed her palms firmly against her ears, desperately trying to make it stop, but even then, the demons still screamed in her drums.

"_Lyn_," a voice cooed. "_Sweet Lyn._"

She held her breath hoping they wouldn't find her.

For many nights, the witches had gleefully prance around her in circles. They threw cursed dolls at her, showered her with incense, and chanted vulgar songs. Their expressions never changed. A sick grin always plastered on their faces as they taunted her. Calling her, "_Lyn, sweet Lyn_" every time.

She wasn't Lyn, she was Rebekah Mikaelson, and Rebekah Mikaelson did not get taunted by lower life beings. They would be too afraid to; as they rightfully should. She was an original vampire, faster and stronger than any creature on the planet. She wasn't some weak witch, she was one of the most powerful beings on the earth, and yet, there she was, Rebekah Mikaelson, cowering inside a closet.

_What had her life come to?_

It was all Kol's fault, she knew it was. He picked out this body for her, and when their plan went awry she ended up trapped in a mansion that she conveniently was unable to escape.

_That Kol_.

That conniving brother, always coming up with alternate schemes behind their backs. Though she didn't understand why he had done it, she would make sure to exact her revenge and inform Klaus as soon as she got out. That was,_ if_ she got out.

Surely Klaus and Marcel would've noticed by now that she hadn't returned to her body and would go looking for her. The real question was: _When?_ _When would they find her?_

All the doors and windows were boarded up so she couldn't tell what time of day it was, only bleak candles lit the room. She hadn't even had anything to eat since the body swap. She began to question how long she would last, or if she'd even make it out alive.

The closet was ripped open and the deranged face of a witch cowered over her. Rebekah screamed, but the witch grabbed her by the hair and dragged her out laughing.

"_Lyn, sweet Lyn. Why must you always hide?_" the witch crowed.

Clawing at her hands, Rebekah tried to pry herself free from the witch's grasp.

"How many times do I have to tell you, you crazy bitch? I'm not Lyn, I'm Rebekah Mikaelson!"

"_You always find a way to ruin our fun, don't you sweet Lyn_?" the witch said as she dragged her down the hall, the carpet rubbing against her skin. "_Now we must punish you_."

"Wait, what–"

The witch viciously kicked her down the stairs, every step jabbing at Rebekah's frail limbs. When she hit the bottom, the rest of the witches gathered giggling together as they poked at her motionless body.

Rebekah groaned as they rolled her over and tossed her onto a lumpy couch where they proceeded to tie her arms and legs tightly together. She lazily tried to fight back, kicking at them, but they easily overwhelmed her. They started to dance around her, singing words she couldn't understand. Chanting and chanting until their words echoed throughout the house, making the walls and windows shudder. Their eyes rolled back exposing only white under their lids as their vile grins only grew wider. They thrashed their arms in the air and stomped their feet on the ground, screaming.

"Why are you doing this to me?" she begged. "WHY?"

The head witch walked over to her while the others continued to chant.

"_Don't you see, sweet Evelyn_," she whispered through her sick grin. "_You're going to set us free._"

"What?" Rebekah said confused.

_What did she mean that she'd set them free?_

How could she possibly do that? She couldn't even set herself free from this body, let alone this house.

"_You're going to purge the world of all its darkness_," the witch giggled.

"Huh?"

"**_She_** _is coming, and when she does_," the witch tilted her head. "_She's going to need **your **body_."

Rebekah looked at her horrified at the thought.

The witch blew white powder at her face making her choke. Rebekah scratched at her neck as the powder clogged her throat until she blacked out.

_Where was Klaus and Marcel?_

* * *

"So you want to tell us where exactly we're going?" Damon asked as the three strolled into a residential area outside of the French Quarter.

They hadn't been walking for more than five minutes when the older Salvatore decided to start nagging the vampire with questions.

"Don't worry about it, we're just going to a house outside the city," Marcel answered.

"Is that so," Damon muttered. "And what's so special about this house, huh, tough guy?"

Marcel turned and towered over him, but Damon maintained his usual smug grin on his face.

"I'd watch how you speak to me considering that one, I'm older and stronger than you and two, I'm you're only chance of finding Klaus."

Stefan stepped in, pushing them away from each other.

"Really guys? Could you guys please save this for later, we still need to find Rebekah."

"Well, _maybe_ I would feel more _willing_ to retrieve the original bitch if I knew what we were getting ourselves into," Damon snapped as he shrugged off Stefan's hand.

He started walking ahead.

"Damon's right," Stefan sighed as they followed after him. "If we're going to help you get Rebekah, we need to know what we're up against here. We need to make sure we actually make it out alive to even see Klaus."

It was quiet for a moment as Marcel continued to trudge along, before he finally answered, "We call it the Fauline house."

"Alright, that's a start," Stefan replied. "Now why would Rebekah be there?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm not completely sure she's in there," Marcel answered, Damon groaned. "But back in 1914, Klaus sent me to investigate on some recent thefts throughout the city. After some digging, I came to the conclusion that the only person capable of pulling off so many successful hijacks without a trace could only be none other than his brother, Kol."

Damon and Stefan looked at each other knowingly. They both remembered the snarky and conniving original who had an arm for baseball bats. But they figured after the collapse of the Other Side, the original would've been sucked into oblivion with the rest of them and would be gone for good.

"One Christmas night, Klaus and I followed him to the Fauline house where he and two witches broke in to steal a jewel called the Paragon Diamond," Marcel continued. "It's one of the largest diamonds in existence, and is said to contain mystical capabilities."

"So the original has a fetish for jewels, I fail to see the point to this little story," Damon snidely remarked.

"Well, we didn't know what Kol wanted to do with it, but we still had to punish him for his recent thefts, so we took the stone from him when we caught him outside," Marcel went on. "And for conspiring with him, we had a witch trap his two accomplices inside the house for an eternity."

"So Rebekah is in a house of dead witches?" Stefan affirmed.

"Not exactly."

A dark cottage came into view when Marcel spoke.

"Over the years since the Original family left, the Fauline house has come to be inhabited by some of the strangest folk around New Orleans. When I took over, some of the witches fled to the Fauline house to seek refuge, but were completely unaware of the curse."

Damon looked at him suspiciously.

"What kind of curse are we talking about here?"

"Once you get in, you can never get out."

They stood outside the gate of the gloomy household. A black spiked gate fenced the estate from all corners. Wooden boards jammed the windows and littered all entryways. Trash was scattered all over the ground, while a little porcelain doll's head sat atop the gate. The placed looked like a dump.

Damon cringed and plugged his nose, "So what's the plan? Run in and grab Rebekah and then get out?"

"Not quite."

The Salvatore brothers both looked at Marcel confused.

"Although we can freely walk in and out of the house, Rebekah cannot."

"And why not?"

"The curse doesn't allow witches to escape. It's a long story, but just know that Kol and Finn are currently in witch's bodies, and I am almost 100% certain Rebekah is too," he insisted. "We had a feeling Esther was planning to make Rebekah do a body jump into one of our friends, so we had Kol prepare another body for her to jump in just in case our plan didn't work out."

"That's such bullshit," Damon interjected. "He's trying to get us killed! All this talk of body swapping and original vampires in witch's bodies makes no sense."

Stefan silenced his brother.

"Say what you're telling us is true, how do you explain how Kol was able to prepare a body swap with a witch inside that house without getting trapped inside if he, himself, is a witch?"

"Relax," Marcel raised his hands, trying to calm the seething Salvatore. "I looked into it. The body Kol's inhabiting right now is a direct descendent of the witch we used to cast the spell on the house, so it makes sense he's able to freely roam inside the house without getting trapped."

"Well, that's just fantastic!" Damon threw his arms in the air. "So let me get this straight, the only guy who is capable of lifting the curse, is the original we killed!"

"Wait, what?" Marcel exclaimed. "You killed Kol?"

"_'It's a long story,_'" Damon frowned.

"It was to complete this tattoo to find a cure to–" Stefan tried to explain.

"A TATTOO?" Marcel exclaimed.

"I know, it sounds terrible. But–"

"You do realize he'll be out to kill you, right?"

"Well, we didn't expect him to come back to life, y'know, after killing him and all," Damon groaned. "We seem to have a problem with dead people staying dead nowadays."

"You're one to speak," Stefan muttered.

"What?" Marcel looked questionably, utterly confused with the whole conversation.

"Like I said," Damon repeated, "**It's a long story**."

"Well, surely you had a plan on how to get Kol to help us. Our past with him shouldn't interfere with that," Stefan said trying to get back on topic.

"Actually, I wasn't going to ask him to help us," Marcel replied.

"Great. That's just great," Damon grunted. "Let me guess, you just so conveniently happen to have a handy-dandy witch in your back pocket to help us."

"In fact," Marcel reached into his pants pocket. "I do."

He pulled out a cellphone as Damon rolled his eyes.

"She's a friend of mine," Marcel explained. "I messaged her a while ago while I was at the bar."

"Then what's the point of us being here if you already have a witch?" Stefan asked.

"One vampire and one witch against a house full of deranged witches," he pointed out. "It's not exactly a fair fight."

"So we're essentially going to die before we meet Klaus," Damon mocked. "Just promise me when you present my dead corpse to Klaus, please give him a message from me saying that he's a dick for not answering his phone."

"Hey, hey, hey. We can do this," Marcel encouraged. "It used to be just me against all the werewolves and witches of this town. I took over New Orleans with my bare hands and I came out on top. Trust me when I say, '_We can do this_.'"

Damon and Stefan glanced at each other doubtfully, trying to decide whether or not to make the gamble.

"Fine," Stefan said. "But you better make damn sure we get out of here alive."

Marcel grinned, "Trust me, we got this."

* * *

**_20 minutes before…_**

Davina could feel the warmth of his hands melt into hers. The way his hand pressed against her palms made her heart want to leap out of her chest.

_Stop it, Davina. You need to focus on the spell._

It was true. She needed to focus. Kaleb, Kol, whoever he was, was relying on her to help him with his spell to put Klaus to rest. She would have plenty of time to daydream about the gorgeous boy when Klaus was asleep and locked up in a coffin in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. But for now, she must concentrate.

As Kol and Davina held each other's hands, the dagger and diamond between them, they continued to chant the spell in unison.

"_Thres matos no metas utos los phaysas_."

They continually repeated those phrases, every syllable in sync, every vowel emphasized, and every word rolling off their tongue with ease. Kol pulled away and set the objects down, Davina looked at him concerned when the surge of magic between them ceased.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't understand," he shook his head. "Why isn't it working?"

"Maybe we need to give it more time," she offered. "It is kind of a complicated spell."

"No," he scowled. "That's not it."

"Well," she went to grab the diamond. "Maybe they gave you a fake diamond, I mean they cou–"

Kol viciously snatched it away from her and she looked at him shocked by his actions.

"No, that's not it," he insisted, he lifted the diamond in his hand, a glow began to emit from under its side. "I can feel the magic flowing through it. It's not the diamond."

"Then maybe–"

"It's you," he bluntly stated.

She looked at him offended.

"Just because you're a thousand years old, you think you're suddenly better at magic than me. For all we know, it's _you_!"

"I'm sorry, but are you the child of a powerful witch, and have you worked with some of the craftiest witches all your life?" Kol challenged her to speak, but she just glared at him in silence. "That's what I thought. No, you haven't."

Davina scoffed.

"I'm a harvest witch. I'm more powerful than the body of the witch you've taken over."

"How about you worry less about me, and more about perfecting that spell," Kol frowned. "The sooner we do this, the sooner we get rid of Klaus."

"I'm trying!"

"Well, clearly not hard enough little miss harvest girl." Kol moved to look out the window. "It's only a matter of time before Marcel and Klaus realize that Rebekah is trapped somewhere. They'll know it's of my doing. They're going to kill me, you understand that?"

"Yeah, but–"

"They're going to kill me, again. And they're going to keep killing me until they see fit to bring me back," he yelled.

"Then I'll protect you!"

"No," he shook his head. "You can't."

He turned away from her and stared out the window again.

"That's why this time I have to beat them to it. I have to kill them before they kill me."

**_DING! _**

Davina's phone rung. She went to check it and saw a text message light up on the screen.

**Marcel:** Can we talk?

She frowned. Those three words never meant anything good. But she reluctantly replied.

**Davina:** Okay, what.

**Marcel:** In person.

**Davina:** Why?

**Marcel:** It's important.

She looked at the message annoyed. What was so important he had to talk to her in person? She sighed.

**Davina:** Fine. Where?

**Marcel:** I'll send you the address.

Putting her phone in the back of her pocket she said, "Look, I'm going out, okay? I'll be back in a few."

Kol groaned.

"Fine, but we'll start again in an hour."

"Whatever," Davina said as she slipped on a jacket and started to head out.

She didn't understand why he was being like this. Just a week ago they had shared their first kiss together. Sure, she knew he was manipulative and secretive, but he was also sweet and caring. But whenever he talked about his brother, he would change. He would become consumed by his vengeance and take his frustration out on her when things didn't work out.

She could do this, she knew she could. All she had to do was meet-up with Marcel for a while, and then go straight back to working on that spell. Simple, right?

Wrong.

* * *

Impatiently tapping his index finger on his glass, Klaus listened to the werewolves' leader, Jackson, speak to him while his pack littered the compound. Klaus could hear them messing around with his priceless artifacts, hanging by the stairwell, and leaping off the balcony. They were like a bunch of kindergarteners on their first day of recess, except their playground just so happened to be his home.

As they sat comfortably in his study, Klaus tried to ignore his untamed pack outside.

He pushed his frustration to the back of his mind and spoke, "I realize it's rather strange not to have the bride-to-be here present to discuss these matters, but we need to plan the wedding."

After hearing the myth that if two werewolf clans' leaders marry, then their powers will be shared amongst the pack, Klaus had agreed to a marriage between Hayley and Jackson. It's not like he was emotionally bound to the woman anyways, she just so happened to be the mother of his child.

The only reason the werewolves were obliged to serve Esther was because she granted them an enchanted ring that would help them control themselves during a transformation. No longer would they have to be a slave to the moon. But with Hayley as a hybrid, she could freely turn into a wolf whenever she wished. So if she married Jackson, then there was a possibility that her hybrid capabilities would be shared with the rest of the pack.

"I understand," Jackson said as he repositioned himself on the chair in front of Klaus' desk. "The sooner the marriage, the sooner my pack won't have to work for Esther and Finn anymore."

"Yes, but that also brings up the question of whether or not this little myth of yours is true," he pointed out. "For all we know, it could be a farce."

Jackson nodded knowingly.

"Yes, well, we have no other lead. If we can't at least try, then the wolves are lost forever. We'll just be slaves for the rest of our lives. We need to do this."

"And we shall as soon as it's safe to do so."

"_Safe_," Jackson scoffed. "When has it ever been safe in New Orleans?"

"True," Klaus admitted. "But better safe than sorry. With my eldest brother and father on the loose, I must advise we wait until we at least know what they're up to."

"Well, the longer we wait, the more at risk my pack's safety becomes," Jackson exclaimed. "Finn will come after my pack, I'm sure of it, and he will seek vengeance for betraying him and his mother. How long do you think it will be before he starts murdering the women and children of our pack?"

Klaus began to tap more impatiently on his glass. How dare this low-life speak to him in such a way, and how dare his mongrels take siege in his home. He was Klaus Mikaelson, the original hybrid, the most powerful being on the planet. No one spoke to him like that, not unless they wanted to die.

He calmed his temper and settled with an intimidating glare.

"I understand the danger your pack will be facing, but I will not risk having our one chance of retaliating be ruined," he gritted through his teeth.

"So you're willing to compromise the safety of mine and Hayley's people just to wait for your brother to attack us first," Jackson mocked.

Klaus' temper began to flare from his raised tone.

"Figures, what would you know about taking care of others? All your life you've only taken care of yourself. The only thing that matters to you is you and stupid little kingdom," Jackson growled.

"I would watch your tone with me," the hybrid seethed. "You don't understand the complication that you're talking about. You know nothing of my family, nor my plans."

"No," Jackson angrily stood up, Klaus meeting him. "You don't understand what it means to have the lives of people who look up to you in your hands."

They glared at each other, the tension in the room rising.

Jackson spoke again in a low stern voice.

"If you can't understand that. Understand this: I am the _Alpha_ of my pack, and everything I do, I do for _them_. I will do whatever it takes to protect them and ensure their safety because it is my duty as their leader. If you cannot grant me that privilege then I want no business here."

Klaus thought for a moment, his eyes still bearing into the wolf. There was nothing more he wanted to do in that moment except rip his head off his neck. But he knew he'd have to choose his next words wisely if he was going to maintain the bond between the wolves and them.

"If safety is what you seek, I will personally see to it that you and your pack are properly situated in the city while we wait for an opportunity to marry you and Hayley. But for now, you _have _to be patient."

It was more of a demand than an offer, but that was all Klaus was willing to give. The hybrid could not be budged. He had a plan and he was not going to stray from it. Rebekah was still lost, Kol was up to no good, Elijah was still not the same, and Finn and Mikael were still free. The king would not make his move until his pawns were in position. Everything had to be perfect before anything were set in stone.

"Fine," Jackson reluctantly agreed. Klaus relaxed at his admittance. "We will wait, but my people need shelter and protection."

"Very well, I will look into housing for your pack as soon as possible and will notify you when the arrangements have been made."

Jackson nodded and began to leave the room. Klaus followed behind.

He watched on top of the staircase as his pack members almost instinctively stopped what they were doing and followed their leader out the gate. He envied their loyalty to him, their respect for him. He was no more than your average werewolf, and yet, he had the devotion of many. But how?

As soon as he heard the clatter of the gate shut, he walked into his study and closed the door.

For a while he stood in the middle of the room seething.

Grabbing the legs of a chair, he slammed it against the wall snapping it into a billion splinters. Taking the edges of the sofa, he flipped it over and ripped out its cushions, fluffs of cotton flying everywhere. Mercilessly kicking at his desk, papers scattered the floor as he stomped on the wood several times.

So what, he was angry. What else was new?

_What would you know about taking care of others…_

He seized a Venetian vase and chucked it at the opposite wall watching it shatter and leave a dent in the wall. Taking another, he did same thing again.

_You don't understand…_

Using his clenched fists, he punched at the wall, easily breaking through the wood. Tearing at it, he ferociously tore pieces of it out.

_I am the Alpha…_

He knocked down the bookcase, its contents thudding to the floor. Crushing the shelves with his heel, the whole frame was brutally distorted to the point where it could no longer stand. Taking the books, he shoved them into the fireplace, igniting the cluster with a single match, watching the inferno eagerly eat at the pages. As the books incinerated in the heat, Klaus continued to throw in more, one book at a time before stopping.

It was his sketch book.

He hadn't touched it in so long. His breathes began to slow and ease to an even pace, his head no longer throbbing from his rage. He stood there unmoving until he was completely calm again.

He looked back at the worn out sketch book in his hands. Gently opening it he looked through the pages, careful not to fold the edges. Though the sheets were tinted with age, the paper was still viable.

The book was filled with old sketches of landscapes and people. Some were done with pencil, and others in black charcoal. His fingers brushed against each page, feeling the indentations of his work. Turning another page he paused.

It was a picture he drew of Caroline.

He swore he burned all his sketches of her a long time ago, so how did this one manage to survive?

He remembered sitting in his study the night of the ball and drawing this picture. Every curve of his hand as he drew her did no justice to how beautiful she was that night, and although the night hadn't ended has he had hoped, for whatever reason he couldn't stop thinking about what she said.

_You don't connect with people because you don't even try to understand them._

As much as he hated to admit it, she had nailed him the moment she said those words.

He had no need to get to know people, unless they were planning to kill him or vice versa. He didn't see it as something necessary, nor something essential to his way of life. Getting involved with other people was dangerous, and the only people he cared about was his family anyway, so what was the point?

He knew he was careless, and selfish, and controlling and, heck, throw in a bit cocky, but he didn't care. But hearing her blatantly state that he was, in fact, those things, caught him completely off guard. Here he was wooing her with gifts and promises to see the world, and she just shut him down. Very brave of her, he'd give her that, but very foolish as well. Had she forgotten what he was capable of?

He probably could've just plunged his hand into her chest cavity and killed her in that very moment, but he didn't. It would've been too easy to end it right then and there. Klaus had always been one for the chase, and he was out to win her over, and more importantly: Prove her wrong.

Yes, he was master at terrorizing supernatural beings, as well as the non-supernatural, but he was also popular with the ladies, and it only piqued his interest that this particular blonde was immune to his charms. Granted she was spoken for, but as if that would ever stop him from getting what he wanted before. It was both intriguing and frustrating. Had he not saved her life, given her extravagant gifts, and treated her like a queen? Yes, yes, and yes. And yet she still stubbornly refused to fall for his whims.

_Women_, he thought. _Always so confusing_.

Although it was his mother who insisted he bring someone to the ball, the truth of the matter was, he only used that as an excuse to invite her. It seemed reasonable. His mother would be happy and he would have a date he could ravish later that night.

But my god, the moment she walked into the room, and his eyes were pulled away from the brunette he was flirting with, it was… it was…

He was speechless. The way her light blonde curls swiveled in spirals while the rest was pinned in a bun, the way her lips seemed to glisten under the lighting, and the way her body seemed to perfectly fill that blue gown left him flabbergasted. She was absolutely gorgeous.

But what really resonated with him was when they danced.

Because even when they were exchanging snarky responses to one another, nothing could deny that when they danced together, it was _magic_. Every twist and turn was enchanting, every push and pull provoking. The mere thought of their bodies touching was enticing. Oh how he yearned to hold her body close to his, to have his arms wrapped around her waist, and hers around his neck. The desire was almost too unbearable.

He couldn't think of a day when he didn't crave to dance with her again. She made it impossible not to fantasize about it.

Klaus set the sketchbook down with the rest of the books and papers that were now strewn all over the floor. Maneuvering around the trashed area, he headed to a separate room that was connected to his study and opened up a large trunk. Searching through the many trophies he had collected through the years, he finally came to what he had been searching for.

A strapless white dress with pearl beadings that intricately patterned the whole gown.

It was the dress he had lent Caroline for her prom night. It always amused him that she had turned to him, of all people, to help her with her dilemma. But it was worth it. Seeing her in that dress before anyone else could was an honor in and of itself. And the fact that it was _his_ help she had asked for made it even more satisfying to know that she had walked around proudly at her high school dance in a dress _he_ had given her.

He sadly smiled.

If only that night had gone as planned.

* * *

Davina briskly walked through the busy streets of New Orleans, barely slowing her pace to get through the clusters of people. She had lived here all her life, getting by was hardly a hassle. Even after being locked up in a church, she never lost her ability to find her way through the crowded streets of her home.

Glancing down at her phone, she reread the address as she did several times to constantly reassure herself she was going the right way. Despite her extensive knowledge of the streets, she had never been to this part of town. Unlike the loud and bustling sidewalks in the French Quarter, this one was more residential. Many of the houses that stacked every corner were rather old-looking, like they had been standing there for several decades, maybe even centuries.

Fearing the worst, she began to walk faster. It was midday, and yet the whole area gave her the creeps. Finally she spotted three figures in the distance. She slowed her pace.

_Who were those people?_

She looked back at her phone again reading the address. This was it, but why had Marcel brought company? She figured he wanted to talk about personal matters with her since they hadn't spoken since Rebekah's body swap.

That was it. He was here to ask her about Rebekah. She began to freak out. What if he knew what Kol did, then he'd hurt him, right? And then their plan to get rid of Klaus would be ruined. A dozen thoughts started to swirl in her mind. What should she do?

When she neared them, Marcel turned and greeted her with a big smile.

"Dee! You came!" he opened his arm, hugging her.

"Of course, I did," she smiled as they pulled away.

Davina looked at the two gentlemen next to him suspiciously. One had dark hair and pretty blue eyes, and wore a black leather jacket over a dark grey shirt, and dark denim jeans. The other had hazel brown hair, and wore a similar outfit to the other but in dark brown.

Marcel noticed her eyeing his two companions.

"Oh, yeah," taking her by the arm, he introduced them. "Davina, this is Damon," motioning to the dark-haired one with the gorgeous eyes, "And this is Stefan," motioning to the one with the funny looking hair.

"Hi," Stefan nodded.

"Hi," she returned.

Briefly smiling at her, Damon turned his attention to Marcel.

"Are we going to do this or not?"

Marcel frowned at him, before returning his attention to Davina.

"These are some friends of Klaus."

Davina gave a disgusted look.

_Oh great._

"I would hardly call us that," the brown-haired vampire remarked.

"If you mean trying to kill us and our friends is something that a buddy would do, call us '_Best Friends Forever_!'" Damon joked.

"So you're not friends with Klaus?" she questioned.

"No, we want him dead. But seeing he's the sire to our bloodline, we can't exactly kill him," Damon muttered to himself.

Davina's eyes widened.

_They're vampires!_

Stefan jumped in.

"We need something from him and Marcel wouldn't agree to bring us to him unless we helped him–"

"Look," Marcel interrupted seeing how confused she was getting. "I need a little favor. You remember Rebekah, right?"

There it was. She knew it. Marcel wanted her help to save Rebekah just as she suspected. She looked to the side and studied the house they stood in front of. That must be it. That must be the Fauline House. She hesitantly looked back at her friend.

"What do you need?"

"Well, if I'm right, Rebekah is trapped in that house as we speak. That would explain why she hasn't returned. All we need to do is run in there and get her."

"But I can't go in there, I'll get trapped!" she exclaimed.

Marcel looked at her questionably.

_How did she know that?_

He didn't recall telling her anything about the curse set on the Fauline House, but Damon interrupted his train of thought.

"Yeah, Marcel," the dark-haired Salvatore sided next to the witch. "How will she save dear sweet Rebekah without being trapped?" He leaned over to her and said, "Don't worry, little witch, he's been keeping secrets from us too."

Marcel moved forward.

"Get away from her, Damon."

Stefan intervened holding him back while Damon smugly watched.

"No, tell us the full plan," Stefan joined. "How are we going to save Rebekah without getting killed?"

"She doesn't need to step into the house to save her," Marcel explained. "She just needs to stay outside the door and lift the curse once we find Rebekah. That's it."

Davina looked at him uneasily.

"Well, then what are we waiting for," Damon said. "Let's do this, I'm not getting any younger!"

Stefan frowned at him.

They began to walk towards the house, but Davina grabbed Marcel's arm.

"Wait," she yelled, they turned to look at her. "How do we even know if I can lift the curse? I've never–"

Marcel knelt down, and encouragingly squeezed her shoulders, "Trust me. I've seen what you can do. You stopped the white oak stake from killing Klaus." Stefan and Damon looked at her astounded. "I know you can do this," Marcel assured her. "You're a harvest witch, Dee, you can do anything."

Davina smiled at his words, but she still had some doubt lingering. Taking her hand, Marcel led her to the cottage. Though the looming house drew nearer and nearer, she felt safe as she clung to Marcel. They walked up the front porch, until Marcel turned back to his companions.

"You guys got the plan, right?"

"You run in, get Rebekah, then witchy here casts some magical spell to allow her to cross, and we get to drag an original's ass down to Mystic Falls with us," Damon grinned.

"Oh I'm not going alone," Marcel smirked. "One of you is coming with me. Got to make sure you guys are holding up your end of the deal."

Damon snarled at him.

"He's right," Stefan moved to stand next to Marcel. "I'll go."

Damon rolled his eyes.

"Typical Stefan, always has to be the saving grace."

"Then it's settled, we'll go inside and find Rebekah while you stay out here with Davina."

"I don't need to be babysat," Davina frowned.

"That's not what I meant," Marcel said calmly. "I just need to make sure–"

"That I don't run away," she finished.

"No, that's not what I mea–"

"C'mon," Stefan pushed. "We need to do this now. We've wasted too much time already."

Marcel regrettably looked back at her, then nodded at Stefan.

They ripped the wooden boards that were nailed to the door and threw them aside. Stefan then kicked the jammed entrance, the doors flinging open and slamming against the walls.

Inside the air was thick with musk, and there was very little light, only the dim flickering light of a few candles. Dust covered the furniture, and hordes of books and clothing littered the floors. Marcel and Stefan hesitantly looked at each other.

Motioning his arm towards the opening, Damon said, "_Ladies first_."

Marcel frowned and shoved him aside, "Let's go."

Stefan and Marcel walked into the dark house unbeknownst what awaited them. But just before they disappeared into the darkness, Damon swore he heard laughter from upstairs.

* * *

He remembered sitting in his car outside the Lockwood estate, his hands gripping the steering wheel. He didn't remember driving there or when the precise moment he decided he was going to come here. All he remembered was the torture that ate at him as he sat lonely in that empty house. Though she had left long ago, he could still smell the sweet scent of her on his body. Oh how he wished he had never let her go.

He remembered that much, but how did he get here? He didn't recall rushing into his car and jabbing the key into the ignition, or firing up the engine so he could drive like a mad man down the road all the way here. Why was he even here? What could be waiting for him inside? …Maybe a certain blonde vampire.

Sure, he might've eavesdropped on Rebekah and Elijah's conversation after storming out of the room in anger, and he might've heard his brother's challenge for his sister to spend a day as a human. And he also may or may not have overheard her telling him she'd be attending prom and an after party at the Lockwood's house just so Elijah knew where to find her and make sure she was holding up her end of the deal. But there was no evidence he did that because at the time, he was a little angry at his siblings. But even in his fit of rage, he had just caught that teeny bit of information of where Caroline might be after prom. And although during that time between leaving angrily and arriving at the mansion he had produced a master plan with Silas to foil his siblings deal, it was never in his agenda to arrive here.

And yet, here he was, sitting out in his car, gripping the steering wheel while staring at the Lockwood mansion.

_This is ridiculous_, he thought.

He began to thrum his fingers on the wheel, his thoughts contradicting each other. On one hand he wanted to see her, just one more time before he left. But on the other hand, he knew he was being foolish and that he should just leave their relationship where it was before anything got too serious. He had hoped to catch one last glimpse of her at the prom when he came to distract his sister, but she had already left.

She hugged him, wasn't that enough?

He sighed.

Of course it wasn't enough. It would never be enough. Not until she was his forever, and only _his_. But he knew that would never happen. In the back of his mind, he knew she'd never want to be with him because no matter how many times he'd come to save her and no matter how much attention he'd give her, no amount of luxurious gifts could erase what he'd done.

He killed her best friend and her aunt to complete a ritual, he sired her boyfriend and killed his mother, then ran him out of town, and the two times she almost died was because of him. And because even if there was a small chance that they might be together, he knew he'd mess it up. He always messed it up. His family resented him and it's not like he had any friends. He was alone.

_Infinitely and utterly alone._

He started to put the key back in the ignition to drive away, turning on the engine so the rumble of the car reverberated. He changed the gears and prepared to leave, but the moment he rested his hands on the wheel again, he stopped.

He remembered seeing her walk into the ballroom in the pretty blue dress he got her, wearing her white gloves and the bracelet he gave her. He remembered seeing her in her little red dress at the high school Decade Dance and the lovely way the lose threads dangled from her body. He remembered dancing with her, feeling her body inches away from his. The way she gently rested her hand on his shoulder and how her delicate hand fit so perfectly in his as they swayed to the music.

_Every twist and turn enchanting, every push and pull provoking._

Killing the engine, he got out of the car and started heading up the drive way to the front porch of the house. If he was going to leave forever, he was going to at least say good-bye. The parking lot was still empty, so he knew the high school dance wasn't over yet. But he figured Caroline would get to the after party early to help set-up.

The plan was simple: Say good-bye to Caroline and… and then what? He hadn't thought that far yet. Actually, he hadn't even planned on being here in the first place. But he didn't care. He just had to see her, just one last time because even if he thought it was a foolish or a ridiculous thing to do, he knew, all he wanted before he left was _one last dance_.

He was about to head up the front porch steps when he heard the front door open. Like a teenage boy scared of getting caught after sneaking out of his girlfriend's house, he shamefully hid behind a bush. A figure walked out and shut the front door. The moment Klaus recognized the figure to be his former hybrid, he rushed behind him.

"Was it worth it," he said gravely. "To see her smile, to make her dream night come true?"

Tyler turned to look at Klaus, horror in his eyes, but he kept his mouth shut.

"Was. It. Worth. It," he reiterated.

But Tyler refused to say anything back.

"In the shared interest of giving Caroline the night of her dreams, I'm going to allow you five seconds before I rip your heart out of your chest." He began to count, "Five, four, three…"

Tyler disappeared and Klaus was left alone on the front porch. He looked towards the direction he had left and then back at the front door. Caroline was in there, probably just as stunning as always. He eyed the door knob, tempted to go in, but stopped himself.

She didn't want him, nor would she ever. One prom dress didn't make up for all his wrongs, it didn't make him her best choice, and it would never amount to having Tyler present on her dream night. She could have no dress and not even go to the dance, but if Tyler was there, that would still make the perfect prom night for her. Walking down from the steps he headed back to his car. He started the engine, and drove out of the drive way, and began to head home.

He had to go pack, big plans waited for him in New Orleans.

* * *

**YAY! The end of the chapter! This chapter was actually supposed to be waaay longer, but I decided it was too much to pack into one chapter and frankly, I just don't have the time. I feel an obligation to you guys to post within a week, and there was just no way I could fit everything I wanted to before Sunday. So I cut it short. Plus, I have this thing about leaving chapters at a cliff-hanger or on a sweet note. It's just how I live my life, yo. I've come to realize that my chapters are getting longer and longer because there's just so much I want to pack! Maybe one day I'll be able to, but we'll see.**

**Anyways, so if you guys follow me on twitter (if not, you should) you know that I post and retweet a bunch of klaroline related stuff. One day I saw that a bunch of people were tweeting one of the TO writers, Declan de Barra ( declandebarra please annoy the shit out of him), and asking him questions. If you're updated on TO, they just released some preview pictures of the start of the new season and one of them revealed that Camille meets Hope which makes no sense why she would meet Hope if it puts Hope in danger? And that's basically what everyone was tweeting him, like what was the point of Camille meeting Hope or what was the point of Camille's character in general. And these tweets weren't mean or anything, they were just serious questions about the show and this bitch basically says shit like "Go read fanfiction and be happy" or say some smartass remark to avoid the question. Usually I don't do this, but this guy was being such an ass that I tweeted "Come talk to us when you have more respect for the show's fans" and then I had the frog and coffee cup emojis. Then you know what happened? The bitch blocked me! That's right guys, instead of facing the facts that Camille is a shit character, they choose to ignore the fans' constructive criticism. And that's the story of my first time getting blocked by a TO writer. I'd like to thank all my favorite KC tweeters for teaching me how to stand up for my fandom and how to call out the writers' shit. So fuck you, Mr. Declan.**

**On a side not, I've been really anticipating to write this Klaroline scene. I know I had the prom scene in Caroline's hallucinations, but there was still more I wanted to add! Like I can't be the only one who was wondering WHY Klaus was at the Lockwood mansion on prom night, right? I mean first he came up with a plan to foil Elijah and Rebekah's little deal, and then left to go to the prom to distract Rebekah while Silas pretended to be her to get the cure from Elijah. And that's where his evil plan should've ended. And yet, for some reason, he shows up at the Lockwood mansion somehow knowing Caroline would be there.**

**Why?**

**I'd like to think that Rebekah was planning to go there to continue to pretend to be human and Klaus overhead her, and that while he was driving home after successfully ruining her plans, he thought about seeing Caroline. I'd also like to think that the reason he showed up was because he wanted to share one last dance with her because besides champagne, dancing is also their thing and it was prom night, wouldn't one last dance be appropriate? He did give her the dress after all. But of course they didn't dance. I know, crushing everyone's hopes and dreams, I'm sorry... but I feel like he would've changed his mind the moment he saw Tyler, like he was reminded that Caroline WAS NOT in love with him (and that's something I truly believe that she is NOT in love with Klaus... not yet at least). And I think it was that realization that gave him the push to leave and go to New Orleans thinking she wouldn't miss him (but we know that was obviously wrong). So yeah, maybe originally he planned to say good-bye and share one last dance with her, but that was all thrown away.**

**Alright, I'm done rambling for tonight. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!**

**QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER!**

Who do you think the witches are referring to as "she"?

**As always, READ, REVIEW, &amp; SHARE!**

**Hopefully I'll update on time, its getting harder and harder to find time to type these chapters. BYE GUYS.**

**If you don't already, follow me on twitter klarophant and tumblr klarophant**


	9. Chapter 9 All Hell on Earth

**Hey klarophants, **

**I'll try to keep this brief, so you guys can move on with your lives. I have to be honest you guys, I've started to lose my motivation to write this story for said reasons that will be ranted about at the end of the chapter. I was surprised that I was able to finish this chapter at all considering school, and work, and my lack of motivation. But nevertheless, I did, and I think this ended up being one of my longest chapters? Idk. I'll check later. But enjoy, I wanted to make sure I threw in one more chapter before the (un)Originals and the Vampire Diaries come back on. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.**

* * *

**Chapter 9: All Hell on Earth**

The uncanny silence sent chills down their backs. Every step inside bringing more anxiety.

Stefan stumbled over something.

"Watch your step," Marcel said.

The dim light from the candles did little to aid their vision. Darkness seemed to wait for them at every corner, but you could still barely make out the faded silhouettes of the surrounding furniture. It was quiet, _too __quiet_. Something none of them could comprehend. They feared they could be ambushed at any moment. But first, they had to find Rebekah. They felt around the sides, searching for a crack or some kind of opening that would lead to a room. After blindly groping for a door knob, Stefan finally felt the cold metal rub against his fingertips.

"Marcel," Stefan said in a low voice. "I think I found an opening."

Marcel moved to his direction as Stefan steadily opened the door.

As the door creaked open, they could see that room was lit up with several candles that sat around the whole room. A wooden desk rested in the middle, parchments of paper and folded letters littered its surface. The walls were painted red, covered with shelves of old books and strange collectables.

Stefan and Marcel cautiously walked inside and started looking through some of the stuff. While Marcel looked at the shelves, Stefan studied one of the maps that was hidden under several worn out parchments. Running his fingers over the map, Stefan noticed there were three locations marked. He looked at it questionably.

_Could this be a–_

"We better get going," Marcel patted his shoulder. "We still need to find Rebekah."

Stefan nodded. As they started to head out of the room, the Salvatore carefully folded the map and tucked it into his pocket.

After checking a couple other rooms, they proceeded to go upstairs. The rickety steps felt like they could fall apart at any moment as they steered their way up the winding stairs. When they reached the top, they noticed a small glimmering light in the distance. Going off that, they decided to try that room first. The door was already partially opened, and as they pushed it aside it bumped against something. Peering inside they saw a young black woman leaning against the foot of the bed. Her curly hair lay in a mess, sweat glistening on her forehead as dried blood trickled from her nose.

Stefan and Marcel warily went over to her and looked over her injuries. They noticed her hands and feet were both tied, and she looked very pale as if she hadn't eaten in days. Marcel's hand lightly brushed past her face as he felt for a pulse.

She was still alive.

The girl's eyes fluttered open in a daze.

"Marcel," she asked hoarsely. "Is that you?"

The two vampires looked at each other stunned. _Could this be her?_

"Rebekah?" Stefan hesitantly asked.

The girl turned her face to look at him confused.

"Stefan? What are you doing here?"

Marcel and Stefan nodded to each other. This was definitely their original.

"Rebekah, honey, we're here to get you out," Marcel said as he ripped the binds that tied her limbs. "We're taking you home."

Tears began to well in her eyes, she was finally going home. Rebekah weakly put her arms around Marcel's neck as he pulled her up in his.

Stefan and Marcel started heading to the door, "Alright, so all we need to do now is get out of here–"

"_And where do you think you're going?_" a stingy voice called from behind.

Turning, they were faced with a witch. Her tangled hair was tied under a bandana and she wore layers of large shirts that dangled over her knees. She had a toothy grin as she stared at her trespassers.

"_I don't suppose you're trying to take away our dear sweet Lyn, are you?_"

"I'm sorry ma'am, but she's our friend," Stefan tried to reason. "We want no harm. We just want to take our friend home."

The witch danced forward, brushing her hand over Rebekah's shivering cheek.

"_Don't be silly_," she cooed. "_Sweet Lyn doesn't want to leave_."

Marcel and Stefan exchanged glances. This woman was obviously crazy.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but we have to take her."

They started to exit the room when a pain began to hammer into their minds.

The two vampires bent over, nearly dropping Rebekah, yelling out in agony at the pounding pain. The witch leaned over and grinned directly at Marcel's face.

"_I'd die before I'd let vampire-scum steal our sweet Evelyn_."

She tried to yank Rebekah away from Marcel's arms, but he refused to let her go. While the witch was distracted, Stefan moved behind her and snapped her neck. Her body fell to the ground with a thud. Deafening screams began to fill the air and the house was suddenly illuminated with a thousand candles.

"Time to go!" Marcel ordered.

Lifting up Rebekah, they scrambled out of the room. Witches spilling out of every room. One witch ran forward and tried to stab Stefan with the broken leg of a chair, but he grasped her arm and twisted it. The sound her arm snapping, made the witch scream as the stake fell from her limp arm. Stefan grabbed the stake and stabbed her in the stomach.

Another witch came and looked down at her dead friend's body in shock and began to mutter a spell. Suddenly Stefan's body was straining, his nerves being torn apart. Marcel rushed forward and kicked the witch down with his leg, smashing her ribcage with his heels, as he smothered his foot into her chest.

When Stefan finally recovered, Marcel said, "We've got to keep going."

They continued to make their way through the long hallway when another witch jumped into their way. She chucked a kitchen knife at Marcel's leg forcing him to his knees, he grunted. Taking another knife, she chucked another that dug into his thigh. When Stefan went to pull it out, it wouldn't budge.

Marcel barked, "It's enchanted, it won't come out unless you kill her!"

Stefan turned back to the witch who was about to throw another knife and zoomed up to her. Taking the hand that held the blade, he shoved it into the side of her neck, and though blood spewed out of her mouth, a sick grin was still plastered on her face. Stefan looked at her confused as she giggled. She spit blood at his face and laughed louder.

"Go to hell," she grinned.

Stefan pulled the knife out and stabbed her again, frightened by her response.

"Watch out, behind you!" Marcel screamed as a wooden table was hurled at him.

Stefan's body crashed against the opposite wall as the table collided into him. After gathering his senses, he lifted the table and threw it back at the witches who had attacked him, successfully knocking them to the ground. Marcel then pulled out the knives in his legs and plunged it into their chests.

Grabbing Rebekah, they stumbled down the stairs trying to get to the front door where Davina and Damon were. Loud laughter echoed through the house.

"Davina, lift the spell!" Marcel yelled as they ran down the winding stairs. "Lift the spell now!"

Davina began to chant, focusing her energy on the house. They reached the door and rushed to pass through, when **_BAM!_** They couldn't.

Marcel looked at Davina desperately, "What, why can't we go through?"

Davina looked confused, "I don't know. The witches must be keeping you guys in!"

She started to chant again, but when they tried to pass through, they were still hit with a wall.

"Marcel, can you tell her to hurry up because I have a feeling it's going to get bad real fast," Stefan insisted as he saw witches running around each room giggling.

Stefan then tried to pass through without Marcel and Rebekah, and was still faced with the same problem. He couldn't get out.

_What the hell. _

Davina frantically looked at him and the witches coming their way, "Marcel, why isn't it working?"

Marcel looked down at the ground, then back it her, "I guess its true then. Only the descendant of the witch who placed the spell on the house can lift it…"

Davina looked back at him horrified.

"Well, I had a feeling this might happen," Damon yanked Davina's arm and demanded. "I did not come all this way just so we'd fail. Try the spell again."

"I can't," she yelped hopelessly under his firm grip. "I can't lift the spell!"

"Fine then," Damon shoved her through the door, trapping her inside the house with the rest of them.

"Damon!" Stefan yelled. "What the hell?"

"Don't worry brother," he grinned. "I've got this."

He lifted up a phone and began searching through it.

"Hey, that's my phone!" Davina shouted.

"Well, seeing that you decided not to cooperate and the fact that I'm in a pissy mood, I've decided to take matters into my own hands," he muttered as he continued to search through the phone.

The laughter began to grow louder and louder, witches slowly moving towards them with their crazed smiles.

"Would you mind hurrying up then?" Stefan pushed, "You know, like, before we die."

Two witches lunged forward, one landing on top of Davina and the other on Stefan. As they clawed at each other, Marcel set Rebekah down and pried them off together as he hit them against the wall. He grasped both their necks, squeezing out every last bit of life in them as their eyes bulged.

Only four witches left. They congregated together, linking their magic as one, and began chanting. Marcel and Stefan began to rise from the ground, their arms outstretched. Chunks off wood were hurled at them, nailing them against the wall, digging into their flesh. The witches cackled as they continued to stab a line of stakes up their bodies.

"No, stop it!" Davina screamed.

She ran forward with a stake in her hand and plunged it into the first witch's chest. The witch screamed into her ear with a deafening screech until one-by-one the others fell with her as she slumped to the ground with the rest of her fallen brethren. The house became silent, only the sounds of their heavy breaths filled the halls.

Running back to Marcel, Davina pulled out the wooden stakes that nailed him to the wall. When his wounds had healed, he helped Stefan down. With their shirts punctured with holes and their bodies very sore, Marcel laughed.

"I told you we'd survive."

Stefan frowned at him, walking to the entrance, he tried to walk through, but they were still trapped inside.

"I don't get it, the witches are dead and yet we still can't get out. I thought the spell kept only witches inside, I'm a vampire and I can't escape?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Marcel sighed, "Either I was wrong about being able to escape freely, or there's another witch still alive in here."

Stefan shook his head annoyed, "So what was your big plan, Damon? Throw the only witch available to us into the house we now can't escape."

"No," Damon said matter-a-factly. "My big plan was to the throw the uncooperative witch into the house you guys can't escape and call a witch who'd come save her."

Marcel and Stefan looked at him questionably.

"There," Damon threw the phone back at Davina. "I called your boyfriend. He should be here soon to save your guys' asses. You're welcome."

"Who?"

Damon grinned, "Kol."

* * *

He remembered taking a step outside the hut. Looking around, everything was more vibrant and clearer, it was almost blinding. He could see the small indents between the bark, the lines that sprung from a leaf's stem, and the maggots eating at last night's supper. The world seemed more vivid. But that wasn't all he could do. His hearing was more keen, his senses more pristine. Everything was heightened that it gave him a headache.

But he felt stronger, like he could do anything.

He was the first to wake before the rest of his siblings. The pain in his chest where his father had plunged his sword was almost unbearable, but the wound was completely healed now. After he was force fed blood, his father told him to hunt while he waited for the rest of his children to awaken. But how? Before, when he was a frail human, he'd use his spear and dagger. But now, he felt like he could tear apart forests with his bare hands.

Suddenly, there was a rustling in the woods. Elijah's head quickly snapped in the direction of the sound. Taking a deep breath, he could smell the creature no more than a couple miles away. He began to stalk in that direction. Finding himself deep in the woods, he hid behind a tree, studying the creature when he suddenly realized what he was after.

What he had thought was an animal, was actually just a meager human-being. A young lad from town gathering wood for his family. Elijah began to walk away, when he heard the boy yelp.

"Ouch!" the boy went as he shook his hand.

Elijah turned immediately back to the boy. He must've cut himself with the wood, a minor injury, but blood dribbled from the cut. When Elijah caught a whiff of it he suddenly felt this hunger to drink it. His canines suddenly ached. Frightened, Elijah snapped out of it, feeling his teeth return back to normal.

This was wrong. This was so wrong. Why was he feeling this way? Why did every part of his body tell him to kill that boy? He was human. He couldn't possibly kill a human. Elijah shook his head, trying to suppress the urge to drink every last drop of that boy's blood. He had to get out of there before he did something he'd regret. He began to walk away.

Setting down his gathered wood, the boy lifted up his cut finger and began to wrap it tightly with a cloth one layer at a time to stop the bleeding.

"Hello there," a voice called.

The boy looked up towards the figure scared, but let out a sigh of relief when he realized it was someone from town.

"Elijah," he smiled.

"What brings you to the woods so late at night?" Elijah stalked forward.

"Just gathering wood," the boy lightly kicked at his pile of sticks. "Mama says it's going to be a cold winter this year, so I thought I'd go get some wood before everyone else takes them."

Elijah chuckled, "Well, that's very thoughtful of you to think of your family like that."

"I guess."

Elijah continued to move closer, "What's that you got there?"

"Oh," the boy looked down at his bandaged hand that he was indicating at. "I just got a little cut is all."

Elijah was next to him now.

"May I?" he extended his hands.

The boy hesitantly rested his hand in his allowing Elijah to unwrap it revealing the bloody mess. Despite the bandage, the wound still continued to bleed. The wood must've cut deeper than he had expected. He gently caressed his fingers, his eyes never leaving the blood. His eyes became dark, veins crawling under his eyes.

"Wait, what are you doing?" the boy exclaimed, as Elijah pushed on the cut, forcing more blood to come out. "Ouch that hurts!"

The boy tried to pull away from Elijah, but his grip was too strong.

"Elijah? Elijah!" he screamed.

His eyes finally met the boy's, the boy was frightened as his eyes were met with Elijah's deep red ones.

Lifting his wrist to his mouth Elijah said, "Allow me."

Opening his mouth, he plunged them into the boy's wrist and greedily drank from it. The boy shrieked, ripping himself away.

Elijah touched his chin, droplets of blood spilled out of his mouth. He looked at his blooded hands in horror. He looked back at the boy and screamed, "Run! Now! Run now!"

Without hesitation the boy dashed away from him leaving his pile of sticks.

Looking back down, Elijah's hands shook. They were covered in blood, that boy's blood, human blood. The treachery he committed began to eat at him. This was wrong. This was so wrong. This was not supposed to happen. This was not right.

And yet, even as he thought those words, his eyes still stayed fixated on the blood and fangs began to extend from his teeth. A burning desire began to gnaw at him, an unceasingly yearning to have more overwhelming his desires.

_What was happening to him?_

Elijah dashed towards the direction the boy had ran. Not used to his superhuman speed, he stumbled into a tree trying to find his balance. Sniffing the air, he could still smell the blood oozing from the boy's wound. He wasn't far. Elijah dashed forward again, this time the boy was in sight. The boy staggered and fell to the ground.

The boy whimpered, another cut on his arm. Sitting up, he began to cradle it.

Elijah stepped forward, the boy looked up at him, tears rolling down his eyes.

"Are you a monster?" the boy sobbed.

Elijah knelt down in front of the crying boy. The boy tried to move away, but Elijah put a firm hand on his shoulder.

"Don't move," he said as he stared into the young boy's eyes.

The boy sat frozen in his place.

"And don't scream," he compelled. "It will all be over soon."

He sank his fangs into the boy's neck and began to feast on his blood. The young boy didn't move and didn't scream. He just sat there silently as Elijah drained him, and when the last drop of blood was siphoned out of him, the boy's pale body fell to the ground. Dead.

* * *

There was a knock on the door and suddenly Elijah was pulled away from his memories.

"Elijah?" Hayley called form behind the bathroom door, "Are you okay?"

"Uh… yes, I'm fine."

"Well, could you hurry up? You've kind of been in there for a while and I need to shower."

"I'll be out soon."

He could hear Hayley's footsteps move away from the door as she left the room.

The pitter patter of water splashing against the shower floor rung in the bathroom. The hot beads rolling down his body. Facing the showerhead, he let the water trickle down his face with his eyes closed. Taking his hands, he ran them through his hair, pushing it back revealing his forehead. He sighed, letting the water continue to dribble down his body.

_Why had he remembered that night?_

Taking a bar of soap, he pushed away his thoughts and proceeded to massage the soap over his body until every inch of him was covered. Putting the soap down, he began to rub is so it produced bubbles. He rubbed his arms, and chest, and legs. When too much water had accumulated on his face, he brushed it aside with his hands. But when he brought his hands down to rub the soap away on his arms he saw they were covered in blood.

He looked down at his bloodied hands in horror. He frantically tried to wash them under the running water, but the blood remained. He then wiped it on his body, but it only smudged over his skin. He began to freak out, grabbing a bottle of body wash and he spewed soap into his hands and rubbed them all over his body, trying to get rid of the blood. But just as soon as the bubbles were washed away, the stains of blood remained.

Elijah stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel, wiping every inch of him until he was dry. He looked back at himself in the mirror. Dried blood ran down the sides of his mouth, all over his chin, and covered his throat. His eyes were red and his fangs out, a maniacal grin dancing on his lips. Frightened, he ran out of the bathroom only to run into Hayley.

"Whoa there, mister," she stopped him. "You might want to put some clothes on."

Elijah looked at her confused, he studied himself when he realized he had only a white towel wrapped around his waist.

He struggled to find his words, "I, uh–"

She giggled at his embarrassment.

"It's ok, I don't mind," she poked at his chest. "But we have a baby in this house, so go put some clothes on and watch over her while I go shower."

She walked past him and locked the door behind her. As the shower began to run again, Elijah just stood in place rubbing his forehead. He sighed.

_When would the nightmares end?_

* * *

Kol stomped over to the house. Damon was leaning up against one of the house beams, Davina sitting next to Marcel and Rebekah, and Stefan pacing inside the house. The sounds of his sneakers thudding against the concrete as he walked up to the front porch drew their attention. He had an annoyed expression. Damon pushed off the beam so he was standing up straight and turned to face him with a smug grin.

"Well, look who decided to show up," the dark-haired Salvatore jeered. "I must say, Kol, you're not as handsome as I remember."

Kol scoffed at the Salvatore, "Save it, where's Davina?"

He nodded towards the house, "She's getting cozy inside the house, y'know, getting used to the fact she'll be stuck in there for an eternity."

Kol glared at him, his lips pressing into a thin line.

"That is unless," Damon moved towards him. "You save her."

Kol made a move to get away, but Damon stopped him.

"And while you're here, why don't you save my brother and his little friends while you're at it. What's the saying again? Kill two birds with one stone?" Damon laughed to himself. "I suppose in this case, it would be three birds –"

"And if I choose not to?" Kol said through his gritted teeth.

"Well," Damon inched closer, asserting his dominance over him. "I guess I'd have to kill you, and we'll see if you're so lucky with the afterlife now that the Other Side is gone."

They exchanged glares for a while before he turned to face Davina.

"Why did you come here, Davina?"

"I, I didn't know this would happen," she wailed.

"Well, now look where you are," he snapped, Davina looked down guiltily.

"Hey, hey, hey," Marcel jumped in. "This isn't her fault. She was just helping me out."

"Well, she won't be much help stuck in that house. No witch can lift the spell on this house except a direct descendant of the witch who placed the spell. Lucky for you guys, I am," he turned to Damon. "I accept your deal if you promise to leave me and Davina alone."

Damon pursed his lips and raised an eyebrow as he looked at Stefan. It seemed too easy, the Kol they remembered was more conniving and mischievous. Something was up.

"Fine," he raised his hand. "Deal."

Kol ignored his hand and moved away from the porch. Walking back to the front gate, he pulled the porcelain doll's head off the entrance and came back to them. He held it up so the four of them could observe it.

"This is the only thing keeping them inside the house."

Kol began to chant.

"_Les zios kantos gaisos von leefious motos haitis fe phosious_."

He repeated that phrase three times before taking the doll's head and smashing it against the ground, letting the doll shatter into a million pieces.

Damon looked at the remnants of the doll confused, "Pfft, I could've done that."

Stefan rolled his eyes as he stepped out of the house as the rest followed after him.

Kol roughly pulled Davina to him and said, "Don't you ever do that again."

"Look, I'm sorry. I was trying to help a friend, but then things just got out of hand and–"

Kol pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. Davina was shocked, he seemed so angry when he arrived. She was sure he'd lecture her about it.

"I was so worried," he said.

He pulled away, as Davina looked at him full of hope.

"Go back home, I'll call you later. Okay?"

Davina nodded and skipped away as Kol turned back to the others.

"So, we have the original bitch and you're free from the house. Now let's go get us an original hybrid!" Damon cheered.

"You're right. A deal's a deal, I'll bring you guys to Klaus now," Marcel said as he carried Rebekah's limp body.

They began to walk.

"Where exactly does Klaus live anyways?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, just inside the French Quarter on–"

They stopped when Kol stepped in their path with an evil grin on his face.

"And where do you lads think you're going?"

Stefan stepped forward, "Come on, Kol, we had a deal."

"Yeah, so do yourself a favor and step aside before I kill you," Damon jumped in irritated.

"Funny thing about that deal. I lied. You know, while I was stuck on the Other Side, I had a lot of time to think about how I wanted this to play out. I mean, how is it fair that I was killed to help Jeremy complete his stupid tattoo? I was trying to save the world from all hell on earth being released, but did anyone listen to me? No," Kol began to walk towards them slowly. "And you know what else? It really, really hurt when that stake was driven into my heart and when the flames burned me into a crisp."

"Kol, I know. We understand what we did to you was selfish and–" Stefan began when he could see where this was going. "We're sorry."

"No, no you don't understand! Because you and your little band of misfits decided killing me would solve all your problems. And what did it bring you? Death. So no, you don't understand," Kol raised his hands. "But let me show you."

Kol began to chant. Suddenly, Damon, Stefan, and Marcel's heads were pounding. They fell to the ground yelling as their minds were slammed with an invisible force. Kol contorted his hands, constricting their airways causing them to choke for air. Kol grinned as he watched them shrivel up under his magic. The thought that they could feel a fraction of the pain he felt when he died was satisfying, but it wasn't enough. With the flick of wrist, Damon and Stefan's neck snapped, their bodies' falling to the ground while Marcel's head still pounded mercilessly. Walking over to them, Kol dragged their bodies to the side of the road where his car waited and jammed them into the back seat. He strolled back to Marcel and pulled Rebekah out of his grasp as he cowered in pain.

With a smirk, he said, "Tell my brother, if he wants our sister back, he's going to have to try harder than that."

Throwing Rebekah in the car, he got into the driver's seat and fired up the engine before speeding away leaving Marcel alone at the front of the Fauline house. It was fifteen minutes later that the pounding had finally ceased and Marcel had healed enough to reach for his phone to dial Klaus' number.

"Hello?" Klaus' voice spoke on the other line.

"Yeah, Klaus," Marcel stood up brushing away the dirt on his pants. "We have a problem."

* * *

Rebekah head lolled forward and pulled back up when she woke up. Drearily she studied her surroundings. There were no windows, just shelves of strange objects. The room was cold and the floor made of stone. When she tried to sit up, she realized she was tied to a chair. Trying to wiggle herself free, she tried to loosen the rope, but was unable to. She sighed frustrated.

"You think that's tough, try trying to break these chains."

Rebekah looked up at the voice who had spoken and looked at him shocked. The familiar black shaggy hair and pretty blue eyes were a dead giveaway.

"Damon?"

"In the flesh."

"Wha-What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, when she saw both Salvatores chained up against a wall. "What are _we_ doing here?"

"Let's just say your brother has a sick revenge fantasy that he intends to play out for us."

"Well, how did I get out of the house?"

"We came to save you, but then we had some technical difficulties along the way, that we had to call Kol," Stefan said. "But after he freed us, he killed us and brought us here. The end."

She looked at both brothers, "Ok, but that doesn't explain why you guys are here."

Stefan spoke, "We need your brother's blood."

"Ahh," she nodded her head in understanding. "Let me guess, another werewolf bite? Who was it this time? Please tell me it was Elena."

"Actually, it's Caroline."

"Caroline," she repeated. "I haven't heard that name in so long."

"Really?" Damon look surprised. "Isn't your brother obsessed with her or something?"

"There's just a lot that's been going on around here that I don't think my brother has much time to fawn over baby vampires anymore."

"I can see that," Stefan agreed, he nodded towards her appearance. "Mind telling us what's up with the Original family being in different bodies?"

"It was mother's idea," she scoffed. "Since she failed miserably to kill all of us, she's resorted to turning us into a family of witches by making us body swap."

"Wow," Damon nodded. "Your family has daddy and mommy issues."

"Oh shut it," she spat.

"And where are your parents in all this?" Stefan asked. "Since arriving, we haven't seen either of them."

"Well, if my plan worked, mother should be a vampire by now or dead," she explained. "But as far as I know, Mikael and Finn are on the loose."

"Finn's alive too!" Damon exclaimed. "Great. Another original that we killed. You don't suppose he'll try to kill us if Kol fails to?"

"Well, if I were Kol or Finn, death would be too easy."

The brothers looked at her uneasily.

"If I were them, I'd rip your bodies' limb-from-limb, and put you back together, just so I could rip you apart myself again. But that's just me," she shrugged.

"Save your fantasies for you dreams," Damon cringed.

"Any ideas on how to get out of here?"

"Don't look at me," she turned from them. "I'm not in my proper body right now. If I were I could bust us out, no problem."

"Well, where is your real body now?"

"Probably still with Klaus. He better have taken good care of it," she pouted.

The older Salvatore rolled his eyes, Stefan jabbed him to be nice.

"What happened in that house? When we found you, you were tied up and dazed," Stefan asked.

"Well, I remember waking up in a strange place in a body that wasn't mine," she started. "But every time I tried to escape, the witches would drag me back upstairs and lock me in that room. Everyday they'd come visit me and preform this ritual. They'd throw dolls and powders at me while singing in a circle. It was horrific."

"But why would they do that?"

Rebekah stared blankly in the distance, "I-I don't know…"

* * *

Just as Marcel walked into the compound, Klaus stormed out of his room and jumped down the balcony.

"Where are they?" he seethed as he walked over to Marcel.

"I told you, I don't know," Marcel calmly explained. "I was too busy having my brain turn to jelly while he drove off with them."

Klaus began to pace back-and-forth, "I knew it. I knew Kol was conspiring against me. I gave him my trust and he betrayed me even after I gave back his stupid diamond!"

"He had us all fooled, okay? But we have to go save them before Kol kills–"

Klaus' head shot up, "Them? Who's them?"

Marcel scratched his head, "Oh, I forgot to mention that I ran into some friends of yours from Virginia at Rousseau's this afternoon."

The hybrid squinted his eyes suspiciously, "What friends?"

Klaus didn't have friends, he merely had aquanctices, but even then those people were either loose business partners or dead. Klaus eyed him suspiciously.

"Two brothers, one with dark hair and blue eyes and the other with funny brown hair," he explained. "Their names were Damon and Stefan."

Klaus sighed as he closed eyes and rubbed his temples. Those Salvatores sure were relentless. Thirty-eight missed calls and twelve unlistened voicemails, and they still thought they could get a hold of him. He shook his head. It seemed like his past would always find a way to come back to annoy him.

"And for what purpose were they with you?"

"I told them I wouldn't bring them to you unless they helped me save Rebekah."

_Smart._ He would give him that for manipulating them into helping him find his sister. But now he's mixed in the Salvatores into his own family issues, and knowing those brothers, they have enough family problems of their own.

"Ok, look," Marcel interrupted his thoughts. "I know you're a little mad I brought your friends into the family business, but I needed their help and they actually did. They're with Rebekah right now, we just need to find them."

"And where do you suppose Kol might be keeping them? I'm sure he's well-aware now that I know of his treachery, so I don't expect he'll be joining us for supper."

"I don't know," Marcel admitted. "But all it takes is a simple location spell and bingo! I have a witch just across the river that we can ask."

Klaus thought for a moment before he agreed, "Alright, let's go."

He started to head past the gate, Marcel following close behind.

"So that's it? No big, thought-out plan?" Marcel asked as they jumped into Klaus' car.

"What's there to plan?" Klaus turned on the ignition. "He's a witch and I'm an immortal hybrid. This isn't a battle he's going to win."

Marcel smiled. _Typical Klaus._

The engine roared and they sped away. Klaus needed to teach his brother a lesson, a lesson he had to remind him several times over the century. He would not tolerate his brother's misdeeds. No one messed with Klaus Mikaelson, especially not his baby sister, and got away with it. Not even if they were family. So as they drove through the John James Audubon Bridge, there was only one time on his mind.

He was going to save his sister no matter what it took.

* * *

Kol walked back into the room, Damon, Stefan, and Rebekah's attention turning to him.

"I see, you've woken up," he grinned as he walked over to a table. "Don't take it personally. I don't know if you've noticed, but you guys have the tendency not to shut up."

Damon glared at him as he tried to break free from the chains.

"Don't even bother trying to break those chains. They're enchanted," he motioned towards the doll hanging over their heads. "You see that pretty doll over there? That's your ticket out of here, but seeing that you're a little tied up, I don't think you'll be going anywhere today."

"What do you want for us," Stefan intervened.

"Wasn't it obvious? I'm here to avenge my death, seeing that no one else did."

He looked over at his sister, who shamefully looked away.

"We needed to find the cure."

"And how well did that work out for you, hm? Jeremy died, Elena turned off her emotions, Silas returned, and all hell broke loose," the brother's looked at him shocked. "Yeah, that's right, I saw it all. Funny thing about the Other Side, you don't have much to do, but watch the world you should be living in fall apart."

"Ok, yes, I know we were wrong to do what we did," Stefan tried to explain. "But–"

"No, Stefan, I don't believe you guys know just how wrong you were," Kol picked up a daggered metal star from his table of collectables. "But allow me to show you."

Kol flung the metal star at him, its blade digging into his abdomen. Cuts began to slice through every part of Stefan's body. Though the incisions were small, they were deep, allowing blood to ooze out of them and bleed onto his shirt. As the cuts moved up his neck, a spray of blood escaped his lips. Damon looked at his brother horrified.

"What the hell did you do to him?" he furiously yelled at Kol.

"I call it the Devil's Star," Kol smiled, pleased with his work. "A dark object I had one of my witches make for me. You see, when I turned into a vampire, I lost my ability to practice magic. So instead, I use magical weapons, to use magic. It's quite wonderful, really."

He walked over to Stefan's body, and pulled out the star, twirling it in his hands.

"A thousand cuts all in one," he marveled. "It won't kill him, but it will hurt."

Kol walked back to his table and fiddled with more of his dark toys until he picked up an old looking syringe made of metal with a strange cloudy liquid inside.

"Now this," he lifted it up so Damon could get a good look at it. "This one I haven't thought up a name for yet, maybe you can help me."

As he walked to him, Damon spat, "Go to hell."

Kol plunged the needle into his side and released the toxin.

"If I remember correctly, the toxin will travel through your veins and turn everything to water, drowning your body with just as much water as the sea."

Damon began to profusely sweat, it felt like his insides were exploding. He started choked out water, gallons of it spewing every time he coughed. His lungs were being continually clogged with water, making it hard for him to breathe. And even as he tried to gasp for air, his throat choked out more.

"Kol, stop it!" Rebekah screamed.

Kol whipped around and snarled at her, "Don't think for one moment I've forgotten about you sister!"

"Why are you doing this, Kol?"

"They killed me, Rebekah! They killed me!" he yelled. "And none of you did anything to stop them!"

Rebekah looked at him stunned.

"Tell me," he rushed forward to her. "When I died did you mourn for me, hm? Did you avenge my death? Did you do anything at all?"

He shook his head when she didn't reply.

"That's right, you did _nothing_. Absolutely _nothing_. You let them throw my burned up body into a grave without a coffin and not even a grave stone to mark my death. You call yourself my sister, but you let these buffoons kill me, your own brother."

"Kol, I'm so–" she tried to apologize, but she then started to feel woozy.

Kol turned his back from her, "Save your breath."

"No, Ko–"

It felt like something was trying to overcome her consciousness, pushing at her mind. What was going on? Her eyes rolled back and her body twitched, Kol turned back to look at her confused.

"Rebekah?"

Her cloudy eyes met his. She easily snapped the ropes that held her and stood up, Kol stepped back running into his table. Fumbling, he grabbed a pair of shackles, ready to latch them onto her. But she fearlessly walked towards him and when she was only a foot away she touched his cheek with her hand.

"**I am not Rebekah Mikaelson**."

Her voice was different. Deeper and more ancient. Her voice conveyed centuries of knowledge and experience. Kol looked at her frightened.

"What, then who are you?" he asked as she pulled her hand away.

She smiled knowingly, "**You'll find out soon enough**."

She outstretched her arms and curled her fingers, and with the flick of her wrists the room was blinded with a gust of light. The shelves fell, their contents tumbling to the ground. Kol's body was thrown across the room, knocking him out. Everything twisted in a hectic fury, the doll that trapped the brothers was ripped from the ceiling and thrown into the whirlwind of light. Damon unhinged himself from his chains and freed Stefan, wrapping one arm under his brother.

"Come on, Stefan, we've got to get out of here!" he screamed over the swirling winds.

Stefan nodded, "Where's Rebekah? We can't leave without her!"

Blindly searching through the spinning room, they found her lying motionless on the floor. Maneuvering through the flying debris, they struggled to make their way to her. Every step they took, they were pushed two steps back. It was nearly impossible to escape.

But leaning over, Damon grabbed her arm. He then slung her over his shoulder as they stumbled out the door. When they reached outside, they rolled out, laying on the ground with heavy breaths. Damon's throat still ached from all the water. He looked at his brother, all his cuts had healed, but his blood still stained his shirt. They sat up.

"What the hell just happened?" Damon shook his head.

"I don't know," Stefan patted his back, "But somehow we got out."

Damon laughed, "We are some lucky bastards, you and I."

Stefan smiled.

**_RRRRRRRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGGG!_**

It took a moment for them to register that Stefan's phone was ringing. Reaching into his back pocket he pulled out his phone.

"It's from Elena."

"What are you waiting for? Answer it!"

He pulled the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Stefan," said Elena's voice.

"Yeah, what's up?"

"I have good news!"

"Alright, what is it?"

"So today Sheriff Forbes stopped by the dorm room to check on Caroline, and it turns out she had Klaus' address the whole time!"

"Wait, what!" Damon exclaimed, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"How is that even possible?"

"It doesn't matter. Do you want the address or not?"

He relented, "Fine, what is it?"

Elena read the address aloud to him from the paper Liz had given her as Damon typed it into his phone.

"Alight, thanks. If this really is Klaus' address, we should be back at Mystic Falls by nightfall."

"Sounds good, see you guys soon."

He hung up his phone and stuffed it in his pocket.

"See, we didn't need Marcel to find Klaus, and now we went through all this trouble for nothing. We could've just sat at the bar for three hours and drank booze, but _noooooo_, we had to do everything we could to find him," Damon whined.

"Shut up. Just grab Rebekah and let's get out of here."

He lifted her up and they began to walk out of what looked like a cemetery. Stone structures surrounded the area, an endless maze of walls and gravestones as they walked on the brick road.

Damon joked to 'follow the grey-brick road' which made no sense, since it went in every direction. When they finally reached a gate, they saw a black SUV pull up and park at the entrance. Marcel jumped out of the car and ran towards them.

"What the hell happened to you guys?"

"Shit happened," Damon bluntly remarked.

"And what of Kol?"

"We have no idea," Stefan replied. "It was kind of…crazy in there."

They heard the shut of a car door coming from the SUV as a tall figure stepping away from the other side of the car emerged. A familiar blonde man walked towards them, terror and superiority exuding from his smug grin.

Damon rolled his eyes at the original.

"Well, if it isn't the devil himself," he muttered.

"Well, it's about damn time," Stefan said.

Klaus' grin grew wider as he drew nearer to them until he joined them next to his protégé. He eyed a woman's body slung over Damon, who he assumed was Rebekah, and was pleased.

"Now is that how you speak to your _friend_?" he smirked. "I hear you boys need my help."

Stefan and Damon exchanged looks, before turning back to him.

"We can talk over things at my home, and judging by your appearance, I assume you'd like some clean clothes."

They nodded.

"Come," he motioned them to his car. "We have much to discuss."

* * *

**I apologize for the lack of Klaroline in this chapter, there was just a lot of shit I needed to cover since this chapter lines up with Chapter 4 in MF when Elena finally gets the address. So going off that, you can expect next chapter to line up with Chapter 5 when it is assumed Stefan and Damon leave with out Klaus. You'll see why our favorite original hybrid couldn't/wouldn't come with the Salvatores to see Caroline. **

**New promo pics for both shows have been released. One of them depicting Klaus showing Camel Hope. This particular photo annoyed me because I didn't understand what purpose did Camille have with seeing Hope. Last time I checked, Klaus killed his own father because he had an inkling that Hope was alive, and yet he's allowing Camille to see her? She's the weakest link (and most useless character) in the group, she can be easily compelled and she's a liability. If Klaus cares so much about Hope, he never would've revealed that she was still alive...**

**Ok, rant time. For those of you who don't know, the TCAs 2015 were last week and there was a joint panel of TO and TVD with Ian Somerhalder, Joseph Morgan, Julie Plague, Caroline Dries, and Michael Narducci. Before that, a bunch of interviewers who were attending asked viewers to tweet questions they wanted to be answered, and of course, the Klaroline fandom sent in tons of questions asking about any crossovers, whether or not Klaus still loved Caroline, and so on. Shortly after, one of the interviewers tweeted that according to the panel, there would be no Klaroline this season. Everyone in the Klaroline fandom was devastated by the news, including me. You know, it was a little disheartening... But then the interviewer deleted their post for some reason? So we won't be sure of the fate of our fandom until the interviews come out on Monday, so cross your fingers (but don't get your hopes too high, JP &amp; Co have a funny way of ruining people's hopes and dreams). **

**So that's kind of why writing this fanfic has been a little tough, I didn't touch this chapter for like 2-3 days because I just couldn't find the motivation to write it. Usually I try to write parts of it everyday before work or after class. Really, just whenever I have time. But I just pushed this one off to the side. But its okay now, after the "Three Years of Klaroline" trend on twitter and getting amazing reviews from you guys, I'm back at it! I mean, this fandom has gone through so much already and we've gotten tons of bad news, and yet we're still here. We still slay polls and dominate twitter trends. We have picture manips, fan videos, and blogs, and a fucking magazine dedicated to our favorite couple. And out of the thousands of Klaroline fanfics there are, you've chosen to read mine. And for that, I am forever grateful. **

**Going through your guys' comments and actually talking to some of you, really does make my day (especially in these tough times). Though I wasn't here from the start, I am now and I'm never leaving this fandom because I love you guys so much. **

**So on that note... No, I have not given up on this story and no, I have not given up on Klaroline. I don't think its possible. I revived my hope (not the baby) after watching Klaroline videos on youtube and rewatching the graduation episode about a million times. As much as I wish they were together now, I will wait. I'm still deeply upset by how OOC they are right now and the stupid SLs the writers are shoving down their throats, but I'll cringe through and wait. For now, we can all suffer together. All shoved tight as the elephants in the writer's room. They can't ignore us forever, but they can try as their ratings plummet. So while we wait for the inevitable, enjoy my fanfic. I'll show you what I think an "organic" crossover should be like. I'll give you Klaroline when the writers won't. **

**Alright, enough rambling. BE FREE.**

**This week's question is:**

Why do you think Klaus didn't come back to Mystic Falls to save Caroline?

**As always READ. REVIEW. SHARE.**

**P.S. I finally got my Klaroline phone case in the mail, you can find a picture on my tumblr or twitter.**

**P.S.S. On Friday, January 23rd we have a trend on twitter for "A Year Without Klaroline" marking a year since Klaus and Caroline's last scene together. Come join us!**


	10. Chapter 10 However Long It Takes

**HEY KLAROPHANTS.**

**Wow. Yeah. I know it's been two weeks, and I am sincerely sorry. I've just been hella busy with school and work. It's just been kind of crazy in my life. I've literally been trying to find time to write this chapter in between my classes and before I go to bed. Like I'll write tiny sections at a time. It's ridiculous. I mean, these past two weeks I've just been trying to write this 10-page play for my Dramatic Writing class and a 5-minute play for my drama class. I guess that's what happens when you sign up for a lot of writing classes, but don't get me wrong, I do love to write and it's kind of fun. I just wish I had more time...Anyways so I'm back to update, but I must warn you, my next update probably won't be for another two weeks either considering I have to add another 20-pages to that play and write an 8-page paper for my english 102 class (yay). But I swear, I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN ABOUT THIS STORY. It's not done yet, there's still so much shit to cover and Klaus and Caroline haven't even reunited yet? Like no. I won't abandon you guys. **

**Anyways, this chapter aligns with Chapter 6 when Caroline gets the cure. Just an FYI. **

**Enough yammering.. Have at it. **

**DICLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.**

* * *

**Chapter 10: However Long It Takes**

Klaus carried his sister up the stairs to her bedroom, careful not to stir her from her slumber. As he entered her room, he took a glimpse around. Even after she had gone to live the life she wanted, he had kept her room exactly the way she had left it. The bed still had the same intricately designed mauve covers with the matching pillow set, the walls were still covered with framed paintings, the curtains still partially open so the last light of day could seep through the windows, and her unworn clothes still slung over a chair across from her dresser. He feared if he had altered the room in any way, it would lose her presence, something he'd grown so accustomed to throughout the years.

Setting her down on the bed, he lifted the covers and gently wrapped them around her so that they rested under her chin. He sighed.

For centuries they've been together. Fighting their way against the odds, steering far from danger, and having each other's backs. What was the phrase again? _Always and forever_. And for as long as he could remember, after every tiring battle they survived and after every long journey they endured, Klaus would always find himself tucking his little sister to sleep.

It was something simple, really. When they were younger, they would sleep in the same room together. Some nights, the weather would be mercilessly banging at their door making little Rebekah desperately try to block out the thunderous roars of the storms underneath the refuge of her blankets. He remembered always coming to her side when she cried, calmly rubbing her shoulder until she finally came to rest, or how sometimes she wouldn't allow him to leave until she fell asleep, so he'd have sit by her side while she held his hand.

He looked down at the unfamiliar face that now rested in her place. He couldn't recognize the messy curls, nor the dark skin. But surely enough, Rebekah was in there, somewhere, trapped in this body. His little sister all worn out from a long day. He left the room, slowly closing the door. He paused with his hand still on the door knob before letting go and going downstairs to the commotion that awaited him.

As he rejoined Damon, Stefan, and Marcel in the compound, he watched them bicker. Damon and Marcel were at each other's throats while Stefan was the mediator.

"You told us that after we retrieved Rebekah, we could see Klaus," Damon snapped. "And now that we're here, I think that it's only fair that we get to ask him for what we need!"

"There are more pressing matters that we need to attend to right now, your request can wait," Marcel retorted. "If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here!"

"HAH, last time I checked, we didn't need your lousy help to find him," the dark-haired Salvatore snarled.

"Yeah, but you're going to need all the help you can get to keep me from killing you."

Marcel rushed forward, but Stefan stepped in, resting an arm firmly on his chest keeping them from tearing each other's heads off.

"Stop it, guys. You're being ridiculous," he said.  
The two looked at each other in disgust, still tempted to kill each other. Klaus broke the silence with a slow clap.

"Brava."

The three of them looked at Klaus sitting in his chair.

"Now, if the three of you are through with acting like buffoons," he motioned his arms to the empty seats at the elegant table. "Why don't we talk like civilized men, hm?"

Damon grunted as he walked away, taking a seat on one side of Klaus, while Marcel took the other, leaving Stefan to sit in front of him. Klaus was pleased that the three didn't question his authority, giving him so much pleasure that they were vying for his attention.

"Alright, so why don't we start off with what the bloody hell happened in the Fauline House?"

"Well, like I told you earlier," Marcel started. "I told them I wouldn't bring them to you, unless they helped me get Rebekah." Damon glared at him from across the table, but he continued, "So we went in to find her, I called Davina to come so she could lift the spell to bring Rebekah out."

Stefan jumped in, "But just as we were about to leave, we were attacked by a group of witches and even after we killed them all, we were still unable to escape."

"That's because only a descendant of the witch that placed the curse, can lift the spell," Klaus explained. "And seeing that one of the witches locked in there was a Claire witch, it makes sense why Davina was unable to lift the spell."

"Wait-what?" Marcel looked at him surprised, "One of the witches was an ancestor of Davina's. Why wasn't I told this?"

"I didn't think it was necessary, you wouldn't have known Davina until decades later anyways," Klaus replied bluntly.

If he had known that bit of information, Marcel never would've asked her to come. He never would've put her in danger. She could've been trapped in that house forever, or even worse, dead. Marcel turned away, feeling slightly betrayed.

"And what of Rebekah, do we know what they did to her?"

"We're not sure," Stefan answered. "When we found her, she was in a daze and when we asked her while we were held hostage, she didn't seem to remember anything."

Klaus studied the Salvatore.

This worried him, without any knowledge of what occurred during that week Rebekah was away, he couldn't determine her current health. After all the witchy hexes that've been cursed on his family and Elijah still suffering the aftermath of his mother's magic, one could never be too weary. He needed to know what the witches had done to his sister in order to protect her.

"And one more thing," Stefan reached into his back pocket and pulled out a crinkled map. "I found this while we were searching the house for her."

Klaus took the map and carefully opened its flaps to discern what the brown-haired Salvatore had found. It was a map of Louisiana, though a little outdated, it still held the major locations of the state. But that wasn't the first thing he noticed, in equally spaced marks, there were three locations dotted with red sharpie. Klaus looked back at Stefan, fearing the worst.

"There are three locations marked on that map," Stefan said returning his glance.

"I can see that, one marked on the statue of Simon Bolivar on Bourbon Street, another on the Fauline house, and then the last on the docks of Algiers."

Damon saw where this was going, "You don't suppose it's–"

"An expression triangle," Stefan finished.

Marcel looked between them confused.

"What's an expression triangle?" he asked.

"It's an ancient ritual that can only be done with three sacrifices, so that a witch who practices expression magic can channel an immense amount of power," Klaus explained.

Stefan started to count on his fingers.

Damon looked at him, "Stefan, what's wrong?"

"I'm just trying to remember how many of those witches we killed back at the house."

Damon's eyes grew wide, "Oh please, God, please tell me you didn't kill twelve witches!"

"Wait, what's wrong if we killed twelve witches?" Marcel pushed.

Klaus sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Each sacrifice requires twelve victims. Twelve 'beasts', twelve humans, and twelve witches."

Stefan rested his elbows on the table as he ran his hands frustratingly through his hair.

"So how many was it?"

"I don't know," he muttered, "It could've been eleven or thirteen, but I'm just going to assume it was probably twelve."

"Meaning?"

"One sacrifice has been completed," Klaus stated.

"Who the hell would've known we would be there to kill twelve witches?" Damon asked irritably.

"I don't know," the hybrid admitted. "But it seems like someone's trying to get a hold of a lot of magic."

"But why?" Stefan set his hands down. "Why would someone need all that magic? Bonnie only needed it so she could drop the veil for Silas, but there is no veil anymore. The Other Side is completely gone!"

"Maybe it was Esther," Marcel offered. "It makes sense, she was trying to turn you all into witches."

"No, that can't be it. She would never allow the killing of her own kind," Klaus replied.

"What about that Davina, chick? It didn't look like she minded killing off a couple witches back at the house," Damon added.

"No," Marcel quickly said, Damon raised his hands defensively. "It's not Davina. She doesn't even know what expression magic is! It's probably Finn."

"Maybe," Klaus pondered. "It might be Finn, but we're not completely sure. As of now, we have to assume that any and every witch in New Orleans is trying to complete an expression triangle."

"So what do we do?" Stefan stepped in. "Just let them carry out all the sacrifices."

"No, but we've got the map," Klaus held it up. "We know where the remaining two sacrifices will occur, so if they're sticking with this plan, we can easily stop them. We just have to make sure no one gets killed in these specific locations."

Damon looked at Stefan, then back at Klaus.

"We? There is no 'we'. _We_," he motioned to him and his brother, "need to go back to Mystic Falls."

"Oh, so you rather have an all-powerful witch on the loose while you return back to your precious Elena," Klaus angrily snapped at him.

Damon snarled.

"No, someone's waiting for us to return," Stefan paused for a moment, and then continued. "And they need your blood."

Of course, of course that's what they needed. That's what they_ always _needed. His blood. His blood was the cure, the most prized possession, the Holy Grail of all elixirs on earth.

"So that's it," Klaus laughed. "You travelled all the way from Mystic Falls just for my blood. Well, don't leave me hanging, who is it this time?"

Neither of them answered.

"Seeing that Damon's present, I presume it's not him. What was it? Two times you needed my blood," he mocked. "I'm going to make a wild guess it was Elena, I mean, why else would the two Salvatore brothers come knocking at my door begging for my blood if not for their beloved doppelganger?"

The older Salvatore was seething by now.

"IT'S FOR CAROLINE, DAMN IT!"

The room grew silent, not one making a sound.

Klaus stared at the two Salvatores mixed with astonishment and fear.

"What did you say…?"

Stefan let out a breath, "We need your blood for Caroline."

A rage began to grow in Klaus. He tried to contain his anger as he spoke in a low voice, "Who did it."

Stefan hesitantly answered, "There was this pack of wolves–"

"Where."

"Four hours away from New Orleans, in the bayou."

"What were you doing there?"

"We were hunting," Stefan began. "We were running low on blood bags from our journey, so we decided to hunt."

A pang of jealousy hit Klaus. He always imagined that he'd be the one to show her the world the moment she stepped outside of Mystic Falls, so it irritated him that her first big adventure was with the Salvatore.

"And where were you two planning to go on this little journey."

"We were coming to see you."

Klaus' eyebrows scrunched together confused.

"So you needed something else before my blood."

Stefan nodded, "We needed you to come back with us."

"Why?" he asked. "I would think you'd be happy I had left. No more terrorizing poor Mystic Falls."

"We needed you to compel Elena's memories back," Damon finally said.

Klaus looked at him confused.

"Look, the Other Side collapsed and a bunch of us died to get rid of the Traveler's," Damon started. "But a lot of us came back to life before the Other Side collapsed. Me, I wasn't so lucky. I got stuck in some retro-hell with Bonnie for four months and during that time Elena asked Alaric to compel her memories of me away."

Klaus still stared at the older Salvatore questionably. There was so much information being thrown at him, that he had to take a moment to comprehend everything Damon was telling him.

"But I came back to life only to find out that my girlfriend erased all her memories of me just so she could move on, and the rest is history."

There were so many questions that racked at Klaus' mind like where did everyone else in the Other Side end up, and how did Damon escape, and how did Alaric come back to life? There were so many unanswered questions, but none of them mattered as much as this one.

"What pack attacked you," he turned to Stefan with a serious tone.

"I don't know."

"Where _exactly_ were you in the bayou when you were attacked."

"Just alongside the wetlands."

Klaus looked back at the map that was in his hands, searching for the location that Stefan had described. His eyes skimmed through the many streets and names that flooded the map, until he finally came to the bayou. Small lakes littered the area, but it mattered not. He'd be able to catch her scent easily.

"Why?" Stefan cautiously asked. "Why do you need to know?"

He glanced back at Stefan, the face of murder painted all over his face.

"I'm going to kill them, I'm going to kill them all."

* * *

It was just an hour before sunset, the sky was glowing gold through the window panes. Elijah sat in the living room, holding on to baby Hope. He laughed as Hope poked at his scruff, trying to grasp his chin. Pulling her away, he propped Hope on his knees, resting her tiny bare feet on his kneecaps as he held her under her arms. Hope flailed her arms around as if trying to find balance, but Elijah held her still. Hope giggled making Elijah smile.

He couldn't quite explain it. The overwhelming feeling to protect her, to hold her close, and make sure no monster would hurt her. But how could he protect her when he, himself, was one of those monsters?

His hands began to be unsteady, shaky under his grip. He set Hope down next to him on the couch, and stared down at his hands.

These hands had caused so much bloodshed, had taken the life of many over the centuries. These hands ripped, and tore, and slashed, and cut through many lives. All that death was on his hands, and no amount of honor and righteous deeds could wash away his sins.

He began to rub his hands, pressing his thumbs deep into the skin. He pressed harder and harder, feeling the bone beneath. These were the hands of a monster, because he was a monster.

Then he felt someone place their hand on his.

**_He glanced down at the hand that rested on his as it slowly caressed him. The smooth hands brushed against him, pulling their tight grip apart, interlacing their fingers between his. _**

**_"You're not a monster, Elijah."_**

**_He looked up to see the curly tresses of a brunette, with golden skin, and deep brown eyes stare up at him. He could never forget the soft smile that blessed her lips, nor the soothing tone of her sweet voice. _**

"Katerina," he said breathlessly.

**_She smiled. _**

**_Elijah pulled his hand away from hers and gently touched her cheek, feeling the smoothness of her perfect skin. _**

"Is this real?" he hesitantly asked.

**_She rested her hand on his, pressing his hand against her cheek as she closed her eyes and hummed. _**

**_"I wish it was," she replied. _**

**_He looked at her sadly. He hadn't seen her since he had left for New Orleans, hadn't heard anything about her whereabouts since leaving Mystic Falls. Although he had vowed to part ways from her, he never meant to cut all ties. _**

**_She turned her face and lightly kissed his palm. He stiffened at her gentleness. _**

"Katerina," he started, "These hands, they're-"

**_She ignored him and continued to leave kisses on his hand as she whispered, "These are not the hands of a monster, Elijah."_**

**_ He shuddered as she kissed down to his wrist. Taking his other hand, he held her face, pulling her closer to him. He brushed her hair aside, staring deep into her brown eyes sadly. _**

"Elijah?"

Elijah broke from his trance and looked up to see Hayley standing up in front of him.

"Are you okay?" she asked concerned.

He looked back at his hands to see no one holding them, and then back at Hayley, "Uh, yes."

She looked at him quizzically for a moment, then said, "Alright. Well, I was just going to say that I'm going to go out and go for a walk. I'm really not digging this whole being 'cooped-up-in-a-house-till-its-safe' thing. So I was wondering if you could watch over Hope a little longer."

He glanced down at Hope who was tugging at his neatly tucked blouse.

He smiled, "Of course."

"Alright, I won't be far," she said as she turned and headed towards the door. "I'll be back in a few!"

He could hear the lock on the door unlatch, and the door hinges creak as it opened. Suddenly there was a scream. Rushing over to her, Hayley dug her face into his chest. She pulled at his blouse, desperately trying to cover her face.

"THE BABY, ELIJAH, THE BABY!" she screamed.

Elijah immediately looked back at Hope to see if she was in danger, but the baby just mindlessly chewed on the couch cushions.

"I don't understand, Hayley. Hope is fine."

"NO, THE BABY, THE BABY! THE BABY, IT'S DEAD! THE BABY'S DEAD!" without pulling her face away from his chest, she pointed down at the shoe box that sat at the foot of the porch.

Prying her off, Hayley turned away and covered her eyes as Elijah knelt down to the shoe box. Lifting up the cover, he saw the baby. Its skin was sickly grey, dark veins protruding from its flesh, its body frozen in a twisted stance. Dried up black liquid oozed from its open mouth. A single note sat on its chest. Picking up the note, he opened the nicely folded paper. Elegant calligraphy stained the page as it read:

_I know about the baby._

_Give me mother, or the same fate will come to the child._

_Meet me at the Lafayette Cemetery. _

_You have until tomorrow night._

**_–Finn_**

He crumpled the note in his hand, angrily kicking the lid over the baby's corpse. Pulling out his phone, he furiously dialed Klaus' number. He'd want to know about this.

* * *

Everything was dark when Rebekah woke up, the dim light from the moon shined from above as the shadows towered over her. She stood in a forest. Pine trees loomed over her, while the moist bark pressed under her body. Woozily she sat up and studied the surrounding area, propping herself up on her elbows.

_Where was she?_

Pulling herself up, she dusted away the dirt on her clothes, then paused. She looked down at her hands astonished. She could see her pale skin peaking from under her sleeves. She tugged at her blonde hair and groped at her face. She was in her own body.

_But how?_

"**_Rebekah Mikaelson_**," a voice called.

Jumping in surprise, she backed up against a tree and looked to her side. A strange lady stood before her garbed in a blue robe. She had dark black wavy hair pulled back with a pin, high cheekbones, and dark eyes that bore into her. She had a serious face, her lips in a thin line.

"How do you know who I am?" Rebekah asked hesitantly.

The woman took a step towards her and smiled mysteriously.

"I've been watching over you for centuries."

Rebekah stared at her puzzled.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the lady took another step forward, "My name is Dahlia, I am your aunt."

* * *

Klaus angrily hung up the phone, seething as he glared at the screen. Elijah had just informed him of the threat Finn had sent them. Damon, Stefan, and Marcel looked at him in understanding. They had eavesdropped on the conversation.

"So what's the plan?" Marcel asked.

What was the plan? Rebekah had yet to awaken from her slumber, and he wanted to be there when she did. He still had to find shelter and protection for Jackson's wolves to prepare for the wedding. And now that Hope's location has been compromised, Elijah, Hayley, and Hope were no longer safe in Arkansas. They had to return immediately, while Klaus dealt with Finn. Not to mention Kol was still on the loose and needed to be punished for his betrayal. But on top of that there was still the issue that Damon and Stefan needed his blood to save Caroline and compel Elena's memories back. But could he really set aside one day to travel back to Mystic Falls to save her life when his was falling apart?

Klaus abruptly got up from his seat, their eyes following him.

"I need to think," he bluntly said.

Klaus exited the room and headed upstairs to his study where he stood in front of the fireplace thinking. He had to stay in New Orleans, he knew he had to. He had to worry about Rebekah, and Elijah, and Hope, and Finn, and the wolves, and Kol, and Mikael, and whoever the hell was trying to complete an expression triangle. There were just so many things that were tying him down to New Orleans. So many things he needed to figure out. That's what he needed to do. He needed to make a plan. He was Klaus Mikaelson, the master of plans. He always had a backup plan from B to Z. But this time, he was caught off guard. Somehow amidst all the possible scenarios that could've went down, he never thought this would happen: Caroline getting bitten.

Of course he knew when he left her, he wouldn't be able to protect her anymore. He knew she'd probably face more danger even after he left. But even so, he knew Caroline was perfectly capable of fending for herself. She was strong, and brave, and smart. She didn't need his help, she was fully capable of doing whatever she wished, something that Klaus had always loved about her. But if there was one thing that could inhibit the feisty blonde vampire, it was werewolf venom, something that had come to haunt her on several occasions.

He cringed at the thought of her last encounter with the poisonous venom. He had bitten her out of anger. Her friends had just murdered his brother and had trapped him in the living room of Elena's house. It angered him to watch Tyler smugly grin at him as he was left helpless, and to see Caroline side with him only fed his fury. So he bit her. He bit her to prove a point, that he was stronger and he'd always be stronger. He was the original hybrid after all, the strongest being on the planet, and no one could take him down. So as Caroline lay helplessly before him in her weakened state, he was almost convinced that he could just let her die. So as he tried to block out her heavy, uneven breaths, and her dying stare, he could feel her life slipping away has time pressed on.

_"I know that you're in love with me…"_

Those words had caught him off guard, but he made no effort to deny it. Was it true? Was Klaus Mikaelson in love? Impossible.

For years he avoided it, he knew what came with love. Heartbreak, pain, and weakness, and Klaus Mikaelson was not weak. But as he finally glanced down at Caroline, and he saw that she was dying before his eyes he swore he could feel his heart stop.

_"And anybody capable of love, is capable of being saved…"_

As much as he didn't want to admit it, those words hit him. They hit him like the waves that crash onto the sand, like a nail being pounded by a hammer. He knew what those words meant, what they meant to him because while everyone else was busy trying to find his redemption, trying to find his salvation, none of them ever thought to think that maybe, just maybe, he already had some good in him. That maybe centuries of running, of being afraid, and of feeling weak made him become the person he was today, the murderous hybrid. But what if there was good still in him? What if it was just deep down under all his selfishness, greed, and pride? What if for years it had been buried under his pain and suffering? What if he was just waiting for someone, anyone to stop seeing him as the villainous sociopath sent to wreak havoc? But what if he was just waiting for someone to see that the good was already there?

And as he sat there watching her die, watching her take her last breaths, he felt a fear grow within him when she didn't respond to him. And in those last few moments as he watched her die, he knew he had to make a decision.

And it was in that moment he knew he was, in fact, in love with Caroline Forbes.

She had bested him. She had proved him wrong. His love for her was too strong, stronger than his desire to hurt Tyler. For years he had lived without knowing her, and yet now he couldn't picture another day without her.

So as he stood before the fire place, watching the flames of his worries burn in his mind, he thought. He thought deeply and intensely. He had to make a plan. He had to make a plan now before his light faded away.

* * *

Rebekah was in shock as she stared back at the woman that called herself, Dahlia.

She stuttered, "Y-You're my–"

"Aunt," Dahlia finished. "I am your mother's older sister."

She didn't know what to think, her mother had never talked about her older sister, hell, she didn't even know her mother had an older sister.

Rebekah struggled to find her words, "Why… What… Where am I?"

Dahlia smiled her mysterious smile, "You are dreaming, Rebekah."

"Okay, but why am I here? Why are you in my dream?"

"Because I am a part of you."

Rebekah looked at her horrified, "What do you mean?"

"I had my witches resurrect my essence into your host body."

"So you're possessing me? Why?"

"Because I need you to do something for me."

"And if I choose not to comply."

Dahlia chuckled, "You don't have a choice, Rebekah. I'm possessing your body."

"Then what's the point of asking me?" Rebekah yelled, "If you're just going to possess my body, then why bother asking?"

"Because I'm here to offer you a deal."

Rebekah cautiously looked back at her, uncertain whether to advance. She didn't know what to think. She couldn't trust Dahlia, but she was also curious.

She took a step forward, "What kind of deal?"

* * *

He remembered receiving a letter in the mail. It was rather peculiar seeing that he trusted no one with his address. So when Elijah came into his room carrying an envelope, he immediately started thinking of all the possible scenarios of why he might have received a letter. Could it be another message regarding those conspiring against him, maybe it's from Marcel, or a death threat? Yes, a death threat was more probable.

As Elijah carefully handed him the folded letter, Klaus read the inscribed words in ink. In girly handwriting, his name was written on the left corner with his address and at the very bottom left was a name that never failed to make him smile.

_Caroline Forbes_.

Elijah looked at him questionably noticing the small smile on his lips, but Klaus immediately returned back to his serious expression.

"Thank you, Elijah."

Elijah still watched him carefully even as Klaus turned from him and proceeded to open the letter. He didn't know who the letter was from, just that it was sent from Mystic Falls. He began to walk away as Klaus pulled out the slip of paper. It was only when Elijah had slipped out the door and into the hallway that Klaus began to read the note.

It was a graduation announcement.

The thick paper was white and red, with gold lining the border and a timber wolf on the side. Big words headed the top with "You are invited!" It included the date, location, and time of the graduation. And at the very bottom under her signature was a small note, hand-written saying:

_Just an FYI, I got your address from your sister when I came to drop off the dress. You better get me an expensive graduation gift!_

He chuckled as he tucked the invitation away.

After all the chaos that was going on in New Orleans, a short break to visit Caroline didn't seem so bad. So the decision was simple, he would leave his worries away for one day just to see her and he'd deal with them later. It's not like they were going anywhere anyways.

So on the day he departed to leave, he set his problems aside and boarded a plane to Mystic Falls, Virginia. His brother didn't question his sudden need to leave. So as he boarded the plane, he turned off his cellphone and for two hours he anticipated his arrival. Nervously fiddling with his fingers, he stared out the plane window wondering what he'd say, what he'd do. Should he tell her about his soon-to-be child or the predicament he's been dragged into? Should he tell her why he had left so suddenly, why he never got the chance to say good-bye? These were the questions that bombarded his heavy mind. But as he reached into his coat pocket, he pulled out two plane tickets for New Orleans and stroked its edges with his fingers. It was his graduation gift to her.

He wanted her to come back with him.

It had only been a short period of time since he had left the small town, but every day without her felt like an eternity. Not being able to see her bright smile shining back at him, not being able to hear the ring of her voice echo in his ear, not being able to bicker and banter and argue and fight was almost unbearable. He had grown so accustomed to knowing that she was always nearby, only a couple blocks away that a thousand miles seemed to eat at him on a daily basis. And with all the turmoil going on in his life, he could use a little light.

So as he exited the plane, suit and tie, he grabbed a taxi cab and headed down to her high school. The plane had arrived a few minutes late and he got stuck in traffic, so as he sat in the car he turned on his phone. He had received several voicemails from Caroline. Pressing the button, he lifted the phone up to his ear.

_"First unheard message…_Klaus you have to get here now, Damon needs your blood because he got shot with werewolf laced bullets, so call me when you get here!"

He pressed the next button.

_"Message skipped, next unheard message_…Hello? Klaus? Answer your phone! We really need you here, like, now. Call me back as soon as possible!"

Next message.

_"Message skipped, next unheard message_…Seriously, Klaus! Answer your damn phone! Damon's going to die and it's going to be your fault! … Not that you care… but I do. So get over here now!"

Next message.

_"Message skipped, next unheard message_…If you're not here in twenty-minutes, I swear, I'm going to go to New Orleans myself and drag your ass down here. So hurry up, Klaus."

Next message.

_"Message skipped, last unheard message…_Klaus, now is not the time to decide that you are over me. I'm gonna call you every ten minutes until you get your ass here to save Damon's life."

He laughed to himself after listening to every message. He didn't bother to delete them because he knew he'd probably want to listen to them again later. He looked down at his watch. Three o'clock. The graduation should be starting now and yet he was still on his way there. Grabbing the shoulder of the driver, he looked into his eyes and compelled him.

"Drive as fast as you can, mate, I have a girl waiting for me."

The driver nodded and slammed his foot on the pedal, and the car zoomed off.

* * *

Klaus rejoined the three vampires, walking briskly down the stairs to where they sat on the table. They all stood up when he arrived, awaiting his response.

"So what's it going to be?" Stefan asked.

Klaus tossed him a glass vial. Lifting it up, Stefan saw it contained his blood.

"There, you have my blood. That should be enough to save her, now leave."

"Wha-," Damon looked down at the vial, then back at Klaus. "You're not coming with us?"

Klaus frowned at him, "No, I am not. I have more pressing matters here."

"I don't understand," Stefan stared at him baffled.

"I've given you my blood, that's what you came for right? And now you have all you need. Consider it a parting gift for helping me find my sister. Now please see yourself to the gate."

Damon stepped forward.

"Damon," Stefan tried to stop him.

Damon swatted him away, "No, I did not travel all this way just so he can hand us a measly bottle of his blood. You need to come back with us to Mystic Falls to compel Elena's memories back."

"I cannot do that."

He threw his arms in the air, "And why not!? It's just for one day, it'll literally only take a few seconds to compe–"

"I said no," Klaus declared. "I am not leaving with you."

The Salvatores looked at him shocked.

In a low voice, he said, "So I suggest you leave the premises before I change my mind."

The two brothers looked at each other, while Klaus kept a cold-hard stare, until they finally nodded.

"Fine."

They began to exit the compound, leaving only Marcel and Klaus left. As the metal clank of the gate shut and their footsteps disappeared into the noisy streets, Marcel walked up to Klaus.

"Why didn't you go with them?"

At first Klaus didn't answer. He stood in silence staring blankly at the floor, before turning back to Marcel.

"Like I said," his cold stare meeting Marcel's. "I have more pressing matters right now."

Marcel nodded acknowledging that Klaus didn't want to further elaborate on his explanation. Taking a seat back at the table, he sighed.

"Alright," he thrummed his fingers on the table. "So what's the plan then?"

* * *

The sound of cheers filled the air, applause clapping in the wind. The sun shined brightly down on the field, glints shimmering in the freshly cut grass. Klaus walked through the stands, finding an open seat amongst the crowd of people. As he scanned the ceremony, he could see the flowing red gowns of the graduates. As each name was called, he searched until he found the familiar blonde locks and bright smile that he had been looking for.

_Caroline Forbes. _

He smiled as he spotted her standing at the bottom of the steps awaiting her chance to get up on stage. She smiled as she overlooked the masses of people who had gathered. Her smiled beamed even more when she spotted her mom sitting in the front of the stands in normal attire. She waved and giggled as Liz smiled back.

"Matt Donavan," the mayor announced, his voice booming into the microphone.

The blue-eyed quarterback walked up the steps and shook the mayor's hand with a smile.

"William Duncan."

Klaus watched another graduate walk through the stage.

"Caroline Forbes."

Caroline confidently walked up the steps, and excitedly strode over to the mayor to receive her diploma while still flashing a smile to the crowd. Klaus thought she would've seen him by then, but she had turned her face to shake the mayor's hand before she could spot him.

Though he had never attended a graduation, or ever thought much of one, he felt proud of Caroline as she took her seat amidst her classmates. Although he believed this was just another trivial human thing that would come to pass in her memories, he could see why she wanted it so bad. Why she wanted to hold on to her humanity for a little longer.

As he sat at the stands and continued to sit through the rest of the ceremony, he continued to fidget with the plane tickets that sat in his pocket. Patiently he listened to every name get called and every person get their moment of applause while he flipped the pieces of paper between his fingers. He was growing impatient. He wanted to see her.

Suddenly, he saw Stefan, Elena, and Caroline get up from their seats heading to the back of the bleachers. A worried look was on her face. _What could be wrong?_ He then spotted a group of familiar looking people go to the other side of the bleachers, constantly looking back towards the direction Caroline and her friends had disappeared. Something wasn't right. Getting up from his seat, he hurriedly followed after them, hoping to warn Caroline.

His phone began to vibrate in his pocket as he continued to walk. Pulling it out from his pocket, he checked the caller ID. It was Caroline. Something was definitely wrong. He cancelled the call and walked faster. Over the sound of the mayor's voice still calling names, he began to hear Stefan's voice behind the stands.

"Okay, just hang on a little longer," Stefan said wearily. "Caroline's calling Klaus again."

The three of them came into view, he could see them huddled together. When suddenly the group of people he saw earlier came up from behind them extending their hands. Stefan, Elena, and Caroline immediately fell to the floor grasping their heads.

"Remember us, Caroline!" a black woman stepped forward.

It finally clicked. They were the witches that Caroline killed to save Bonnie. But weren't they dead? Klaus didn't have much time to think. He'd worry about those questions later. Yanking a graduation cap from a student he rushed to them and threw it towards the leader, beheading her.

Shocked, everyone turned to look at him.

"There are plenty more of these to go around," he fiddled with another red cap. "Who's next?"

The other witches looked at him frightened, slowly backing away.

"I can do this all day," he challenged.

The witches fled, and once they were finally free from their pain, Stefan, Elena, and Caroline stood up. He looked only at Caroline, a smile playing on his lips. She smiled back at him in gratitude, and it was something about that smile that made him feel like he was invincible.

She brushed herself off and walked over to him.

"Took you long enough," she teased.

"Well, you do know how I like to make an entrance."

She laughed at that as she pulled him into a hug. As she tightly wrapped her arms around his neck, and his around her waist she said, "Thank you."

He smiled, "Of course, love."

Stefan cleared his throat, as they pulled away from each other. Caroline looked at him questionably, and then jumped when she remembered.

"Oh my gosh," she slapped Klaus' chest. "You need to go save Damon now!"

She turned to Stefan, "Do you think Alaric can bring Damon back to the boarding house to meet him?"

Stefan nodded, "Yeah, I'll go ahead and tell Alaric to meet Klaus there."

"Alright," Caroline said as she looked back at Klaus. "You better get going."

Klaus nodded, a little annoyed that a Salvatore was bossing him around and cutting his reunion short. But in the interests of giving Caroline the graduation night of her dreams, he said nothing and vamped away leaving the three alone.

* * *

It was two hours later that he finally saw her again. After picking up a few things from his old house and saving the damned Salvatore, he finally met back up with her at the high school.

It was dark now, the heat of the sun diminished under the horizon, but the moon illuminated the sky along with the twinkling stars above. He stepped away from behind the stands and saw Caroline tucking her graduation gown in a pile with the others. She wore a sundress with white and black heels. He smiled. _Beautiful as always_. He was almost satisfied with just watching her from afar and contemplated whether he should just leave without a good-bye. But he could still feel the burning desire that ate at him to go be her. His pocket felt heavy with the plane tickets that sat within them.

He wanted her to come with him. To be with him. But something stopped him. After seeing her so happy alongside her mother and friends, it didn't feel right.

This was the life she wanted. The life of spending time with her school friends, planning big events, and being with her mother. And she'd want to live this life for as long as she could. And how dare he think he could just take that all away from her, how dare he think he could just whisk her away and they'd just live happily ever after. It was selfish, it was all selfish, and he knew he was selfish. And he could do all those things, he could stay true to his role and kidnap her away to live with him and compel her to spend the rest of eternity with him. He had the power to do that, he had the power to have the one thing he wanted the most. But, he couldn't. He wouldn't. He couldn't be selfish with Caroline. Not with her, not ever. He knew if he took her freedom away, if he took her control away, he'd lose the Caroline he fell in love with. She'd cease to be the light of his life. She'd be no better than any other indiscretion he's had in the past and he didn't want that. He didn't want that for her. He loved her, and it's because he loved her, he could never put his needs before hers. If they were ever going to be together, he'd have to be patient. She still needed to grow up a little, she still needed to finish everything she wanted to do as a human. She had her life, and he had his. She was going off to college and living her dream, while he had a baby on the way and a city to take over. They were going their separate ways. And though they were walking their separate paths, that wasn't to say their journeys might not one day intertwine.

Reaching into his coat pocket, he looked back down at the plane tickets. Taking one of them, he ripped it and threw it in the trash. It wasn't the right time, not yet at least.

He walked past the rows of folding chairs until he approached her from behind. She heard his footsteps as she turned to face him.

"How'd you get here so fast?" she asked in a sweet tone.

"I was already on my way," he replied as he walked towards her.

Caroline raised her eyebrows in surprise as she took a step towards him.

"I received your graduation announcement," he said as he pulled the invitation out from inside his coat and looked over it again. "It was… very subtle."

Caroline closed her eyes and smiled.

"I assume you're expecting cash?" he teased.

She laughed, "That, or a mini fridge."

"Well, I had considered offering you a first-class ticket to join me in New Orleans…"

Caroline looked away from him sadly, confirming his suspicions.

"But I knew what your answer would be," he continued. "So I opted for something I knew you would accept."

Caroline looked at him questionably, waiting for his answer.

He sighed.

"Tyler is now free to return to Mystic Falls."

She was silent for a moment, her face in shock and unable to formulate words. She continued to stare back at him, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"What?" she said breathlessly.

"He's your first love," he said in a soft voice. "I intend to be your last; however long it takes."

He leaned forward and left a kiss on her cheek.

When he pulled back, only inches away from her face, he said, "Congratulations, Caroline."

He nervously searched her eyes for a reaction after his bold move. He half-expected her to shove him away or slap him across the face. But a smile broke on her lips as she stared back at him, the stars gleaming in her eyes. He smiled back.

Lifting up his arm so she could wrap hers around his they began to walk away from the stage.

"Let's get out of here," he said. "Before twelve angry hybrids decide to pick a fight."

She laughed as they continued to stroll down the aisle way of chairs and into the night.

* * *

Klaus' arms rested over the railing of the balcony as he overlooked the night skyline. The bustling of the streets filled his ears, as he stood in silence. By now Damon and Stefan were probably back in Mystic Falls and Caroline safe once more.

He imagined that she'd probably just go back to living on with her life not giving a second thought about him, besides the gratitude she felt for saving her again. His heart ached to be with her, but he knew it would be foolish to leave. So instead, knowing she was still alive would have to suffice for now.

He thought back to that night again, the night of her graduation. Though it pained him to leave her again, he knew he'd see her again eventually. After all, he had declared his love for her. A declaration that he'd wait for her for an eternity, a promise that he'd love her, and only her, forever.

Tatia was his first love, but Caroline, Caroline would be his last.

* * *

**I think this might be one of my longer chapters, but it doesn't seem like it? I can't tell. It just might be because I wrote smaller sections for this chapter. Its a habit that's transcending from learning screenwriting in my class... Hopefully it doesn't happen too often cause I enjoy writing long sections, but I always like my sections ending in "cliff hangers" for my readers to ponder on while they read another section. But we'll see. **

**So I've been watching all the recent episodes of TVD and TO, yes, as you know, I am an avid viewer (not that I'm enjoying it). I mean, both seasons had so much potential, like its just sad how everything turned out. There were so many opportunities for crossovers or mentions, but JP &amp; Co just brushed it off and look where they are now? TVD received its lowest rating this season on its last episode (like, it was so bad that it was lower than TO's rating). I mean, you'd think after all the twitter trends, and fan mail, and interviews, the writers would know what the viewers want (and I'm not just talking about Klaroline guys). I really just want Kevin Williamson to come back and write for the show, because I kid you not, seasons 1-3 of TVD were literally the best. And if not him, the writers here on fanfiction, like I've read the best stories for both shows here. Like wow. There was also this thing where JP asked YahooTV to post her 10 questions that she wanted fans to answer just last week and I put klaroline and defan in every answer basically. I just hate how the shows ended up. I hate how Damon and Elena are so consumed in their relationship, how Stefan is the only one helping Caroline through her tough times, how they've given up on saving Bonnie, how Liz is dying to push a ship, how all the guys are fawning over Hayley and Camille... like wtf happened.**

**Enough ranting. So I'm planning to go to Comic Con this year in San Diego and I was wondering what question I should ask the panel (if I get picked... hopefully). I might throw some shade at the writers, but I don't want to get kicked out, so I probably shouldn't. But lemme know what you guys have in mind and I will be your voice at the convention!**

**Another idea that popped in my head was that maybe I'll print this into a book. Not exactly a book to sell or anything though. I just want to make a hard copy of my story. I did the same thing when I was in high school where I sewed the pages together and bound it to a hard cover. I'm thinking about sending it as fan mail to Candice Accola since she reads a lot of books. Maybe she'll read mine to see the potential her character had. LOL. Who knows. **

**Back to the story. **

**So now that we know what happened in both MF and NOLA, now its time to watch things unfold together. I won't separate my chapters by locations anymore. It's just going to be a mesh of MF and NOLA now that everything's occurring at the same time now. I don't want to give too much away, but we'll see what's going on with Bonnie and Kai, how Caroline finds out Liz has cancer and how she reacts, what Stefan's REAL secret is (not Sarah Salvatore, like wtf), what Dahlia's deal is, and what Matt is up to. A lot of shit to cover, so trust me when I say this story is far from over. **

**This will always be one of my favorite Klaroline scenes. My heart literally melts every time I rewatch this episode and every time I hear Klaus say those words to Caroline, I just cry *sobs* ...one day guys, one day...**

**I might go back and re-edit this chapter later since it's late and I'm lazy and I have work early tomorrow, so forgive me for any errors. **

**CHAPTER QUESTION**

How do you think Bonnie and Kai will escape?

**As always, thanks for reading! Please share and review!**


	11. Chapter 11 Far From It

**HI MY KLAROPHANTS! I'm back! Forgive me for the late update. But I'm here now. Hopefully this chapter makes it up to you guys. Stay tuned for the end of the chapter if you want to see what I think about last night's latest TVD episode. I'll put SPOILER ALERT for those of you who don't want to be spoiled. **

**Alright... have at it.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Far From It**

The moon shined high above the tree tops, its white luminescent glow shining through the branches. The tall trees towered over the forest floor as their shadows cast below. The sound of crickets chirped in the air and the coo of an owl could be heard from a distance.

A man dashed through the trees as woodchips and mud were kicked away. With his inhuman speed, the man was able to wind in and out of the trees with ease until finally coming to a subtle stop. A group of people sat around a bonfire, its flames kissing the air. The people chatted amongst themselves as they feasted on their meals. The man pushed past the brush and walked towards the group of people.

Immediately all eyes turned to him, looks of curiosity, fear, and anger showed on their faces. They all stood up, their eyes following him as the man walked forward. A tall man with a strong built moved towards him, most likely the alpha. The alpha loomed over the man, staring down at him, but the stranger remained unphased.

"Who are you and why are you here?" the alpha demanded. "Answer me."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir," the man mocked.

"And why is that?" the alpha scoffed.

"You see, if I tell you my name, you'll run away."

The alpha huffed and chuckled as he turned to his pack who did the same.

"Is that so?" he challenged.

"Indeed it is," the man grinned.

The alpha laughed for a moment before grasping the man's throat.

"I suggest you leave," the alpha said dangerously, but the man continued to grin.

The man seized the alpha's arm, easily prying it off and shoving him away. The pack looked at the man shocked as their leader fell to the ground and stumbled to get up. The man dashed towards the nearest pack member and sank his teeth into their neck, draining them of their blood.

"Vampire!" a pack member screamed.

"No, worse," the man said as he threw the body to the ground, blood dripping down his chin. "Hybrid."

The pack began to back away as they stared back at the strange man. Wiping the blood from his chin, he stalked towards them, a smirk still plastered on his face.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man outstretched his arms. "My name is Klaus Mikaelson, and I'm here to kill _all_ of you."

Before they could make a move, Klaus rushed to another member snapping their neck. Two members ran towards him, ready to tear his limbs, but the hybrid easily ripped their hearts out. Another jumped on his back, trying to snap his neck. But Klaus wrung him around, and sunk his teeth into their throat biting harder and harder until their neck broke.

More members rushed towards him, overwhelming him as they nailed him to the ground. They began to beat and kick at him. The alpha came forward carrying a knife, ready to carve his heart out, but Klaus shoved them aside.

Getting up, blood trickled down Klaus' forehead. He looked at the pack murderously as his fangs began to protrude from his lips and his body began to change. The snap of bones filled the air as he roared into the night. The members looked down at the beast that stood in his place.

Its golden fur shimmering under the moon light, and its amber eyes piercing through its pupils. The low growl of the beast made them shiver. The beast lunged forward, and thus the night was painted in blood and rung with screams.

* * *

The light breeze whisked through Caroline's blonde locks as she stood outside the border. The tall grass swayed in the wind, as her dress danced along. Caroline's blue eyes stayed fixed on the distance waiting for a familiar face to drive up the road, but it remained empty. She looked down at her phone. _Eight minutes late_. Caroline was beginning to become impatient. If her mother had arrived eight minutes earlier they could've been up and on their way to spend some quality mother-daughter bonding time together. But no. She was eight minutes late and those were eight minutes she wasn't going to get back. She began to tap her foot on the ground fussily.

She wasn't sure what had gotten over her, but it had only been a day since she had recovered from the bite, and her control-freak self was going haywire.

_Stupid, Klaus and his stupid blood and his stupid promise…_

She didn't know why it bothered her so much that he didn't come to save her, but it did. It bugged her so damn much. What could possibly be so important that he couldn't leave his beloved city for one day to see her? Not that she wanted him to see her because that would imply that she likes him.

Caroline shook her head frustratingly. She began to recall the vague details that Damon and Stefan had given Tyler, Elena, and her about their little adventure in New Orleans. All they said was that they met some guy named Marcel who refused to bring them to Klaus unless they helped save Rebekah from some cursed house full of witches, but then Kol had showed up and killed and tortured them for a while before they somehow escaped. And then they got Klaus' address from her mom who got it from her (how embarrassing), but then Klaus showed up and they talked and he gave his blood, and then kicked them out, and that was really the gist of their story. But nowhere in there was an explanation to why he hadn't given her his blood himself.

Finally a car came into view, pulling Caroline away from her thoughts. As the car rolled to a stop, she opened the car door and hopped in glad to see a familiar face.

"You're late!" she said as she buckled her seat belt.

"I know, I'm sorry, dear," Liz replied. "But I rushed here as fast as I could."

"Don't even worry about it, mom. We'll just have to extend our mother-daughter bonding time a little longer."

"I guess so."

Caroline began to read a list of activities to her mom. Liz smiled as she looked back at her daughter. She pressed on the accelerator and began to drive.

* * *

She was in a cold room, the walls made of hard stone. There was no lantern in sight and yet the room seemed to be lit by a blue light that seeped from under a large metal door. Bonnie groped at the walls, trying to find an escape, but she only felt the uneven crevices of the stone. She looked back at the opposite direction that was masked in darkness and thought otherwise.

_Where the hell was she?_

She stared back down at the light that continued to glow from below the door and got down on her hands and knees. She tried to see what lay on the other side, but only the blinding light greeted her. Getting up she tried to find a lever, running her hands across the door. Nothing. Just an empty key hole.

"You need a key."

Bonnie jumped and slammed her back against the door. A black woman stood before her. She had dreads resting on her shoulders, light brown eyes, and a silver dress that wafted with cold air.

"What?" Bonnie said breathlessly.

The woman took a step towards her, "You need a key to get inside, Bonnie."

Bonnie looked at the key hole and then back at the strange woman.

"How do you know who I am?"

"We are a descendant of the same bloodline, Bonnie."

Bonnie looked at her confused. She had to be a witch, but by the looks of her, she was a much older witch. Bonnie eyed her suspiciously.

"Who are you?"

The woman smiled at her mysteriously, taking a step forward.

"My name is Ayana," the woman replied. "I've been waiting to meet you Miss Bonnie Bennet."

* * *

The hustle and bustle of New Orleans came into view as Elijah drove through the city. The streets were filled with crowds of people and the sweet sound of music filled the air. As Elijah exited the car, Hayley held Hope and followed after him. Pulling open the gate, they entered the compound of their abode.

"You go upstairs and unpack," Elijah instructed to Hayley. "I must speak to my brother."

"Okay," Hayley agreed.

Elijah walked up the steps and down the hall to the study, but it was empty. Elijah scanned the room, looking for any signs of break in, but there was nothing.

"Niklaus?" he called out.

"Yes, brother."

Elijah turned to face Klaus, his shirt tainted in blood and completely in shreds.

Elijah looked at him appalled, "My God, what happened to you?"

Klaus nonchalantly walked across the room and began to rummage for clothes in his drawers.

"Don't act so surprised, brother. This wouldn't be the first time you've seen me like this," Klaus joked as he took off his shirt.

"Who attacked you and why?" he asked sternly.

"I was just settling some business, is all."

"And what business would that be?"

"Nothing of your concern, brother," Klaus said as he pulled on a pair of jeans. "Just know it's been handled. "

"At what cost…"

Klaus shrugged, "Their lives."

Klaus left the room, Elijah's eyes still following after him. What could entice his brother to perform a mass murder? Surely there had to be a reason for it. But what? Klaus returned wearing a fresh Henley and smug grin on his face.

"I presume there were no troubles arriving here."

"Ah, yes," Elijah replied, he decided not to push the matter any further. "Hayley has Hope and she's unpacking."

Elijah dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of paper.

"Here's the note from Finn," he said as he held it out.

Klaus took it from him and sternly stared down at it, his eyebrows furrowing together.

What puzzled him the most was how Finn was even aware of Hope's presence. Had he not sent his daughter away to be kept hidden from the atrocities of his enemies? And yet, somehow his eldest brother was able to find her. It made no sense and it only infuriated him that he'd have the audacity to threaten his daughter's life.

Klaus crumpled the piece of paper in his fist.

"So what's the plan, brother?"

For a moment Klaus didn't reply, too consumed in his thoughts. He looked back at Elijah.

"We do what he says."

"What?" Elijah looked at him in shock. _Since when did his brother become so easily swayed?_

"We give him mother."

Klaus began to walk out of the room, Elijah following after him still shocked.

"I hope you do realize even if we give him mother he'll still know about your daughter. It may stop him temporarily, but I get the notion that this is just the tip of the iceberg." Elijah stopped in his place and said more sternly, "Finn will stop at nothing to kill her."

Klaus stopped, refusing to turn back to him, "Yes, I know that brother."

"Then why comply with his demands?" Elijah reasoned, "We should be planning an attack."

Klaus turned to face Elijah with a stern look, "I know very well of our predicament, but he has somehow acquired limitless magic and it frustrates me that I don't know how."

He paused, Elijah seeing the hopelessness in his eyes.

"I cannot allow you to take that risk. I _will_ not allow it."

Klaus opened the door, walking inside. Elijah followed behind him and then stopped when he realized where he was. It was Rebekah's room. He scanned the room, it looked exactly how she left it. Klaus stood over a strange woman who seemed to be fast asleep.

"Who is that?"

"It's our sister."

Elijah looked back at the sleeping woman again. She had dark skin, curly tresses, and long eyelashes.

"But how? Where did you find her?"

Klaus pushed aside a loose curl from the strange woman's face as he spoke, "Believe it or not, but while you were away, I was visited by some old acquaintances from Mystic Falls."

_Mystic Falls?_ It seemed like he hadn't heard that sad town in ages.

"Is that so?" he cocked his eyebrow, "By who, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Damon and Stefan Salvatore." Elijah looked at him questionably as he continued, "Marcel found them at Rousseau's yesterday. They were looking for me and it just so happened that along the way they picked up sister."

"I'm not following."

"They needed my blood, Elijah. What else would they need?"

"It seems I've missed much since my leave."

"Yes, that you did, brother." Klaus went on, "Marcellus then revealed to me that our conniving brother, Kol, was to blame for our sister's imprisonment. Even after Marcel freed her from her cell, Kol took her and the Salvatores to torture them."

"I'm not surprised."

"Neither was I. But when I came to retrieve them, they had already escaped and Rebekah was passed out." Klaus looked back down at the sleeping lady, "She hasn't stirred since."

It made no sense. How could they possibly escape? No doubt Kol probably used his magic to inhibit the vampires and Rebekah had no experience with magic, so she wasn't an issue either, and yet somehow they were able to break free.

"And that's not it either."

Elijah glanced at Klaus again, he could see the graveness in his eyes. Reaching for a folded paper on his desk, he held it out to Elijah. It was a map.

"Stefan found this while searching through the Fauline House for Rebekah."

"What is it?" Elijah asked as he began to unfold the paper.

He could see three locations marked on the map of New Orleans.

"It's an expression triangle, Elijah."

"Forgive me, brother, but I don't believe I am familiar with the term."

"It's an ancient ritual that can only be completed through three sacrifices. One of the three sacrifices has already been done, leaving only two left."

"And what happens when all three are completed?"

"A witch who practices expression magic can channel an immense amount of power from the three sacrifices, becoming nearly invincible."

Elijah stared back his brother trying to process everything.

"You don't suppose–"

"Finn," Klaus interrupted. "We think Finn might be behind all this."

"If he attains that much magic he'll easily overwhelm us, we can't let that happen."

"Yes, I know. That's why we must confront him tonight."

"And then what? Continue to live our days in fear until he chooses to kill us. There has to be a better way, brother."

"There is," Klaus runs to the other room, Elijah following after him.

Klaus dug into the drawer, pushing aside things until he pulled out what he was looking for. A bone-white carved knife cursed with the deaths of many. Elijah shivered at the remembrance of the excruciating pain that followed with a single stab.

"We'll use this against him."

"And what of Hope? Who will protect her?" Elijah walked towards him.

"She will stay with Hayley, here."

"Why not have Jackson's pack or Marcel protect them?"

"I will not risk more enemies knowing of our daughter's existence," Klaus growled, "It's not safe."

"Neither is leaving her alone with no one to fend for her. Brother, this is ridiculous. We need more reinforcements!"

"No!" Klaus roared, silencing Elijah. "I cannot have my enemies know of her existence, not if it puts my daughter's life in jeopardy. You will stay here with them if you feel so inclined to. I will face Finn alone if I must. But I will not go down on my knees begging for protection from the mongrels that wait to steal my throne. I will not have it."

Klaus stormed out of the room, walking past him.

Elijah sighed and walked to the open drawer that Klaus left. His fingers pressed on the wood until he stopped.

Curiously, he reached his hand into the drawer and pulled out a loose paper from one of Klaus' sketch books. The paper was worn and fading, but the image remained. A young woman with short wavy hair looked out into the distance with a sweet smile on her face. Looking cautiously around, Elijah pulled the drawer out further and began to look through the sketchbook the picture had been taken from and found more versions on the same woman. Elijah continuously flipped through the pages until he reached the end. The woman was dressed in an extravagant mermaid dress with intricate pearl beading throughout the bodice. He stared harder at the drawing.

_Who is this?_

* * *

The doors swung open as two figures emerged. Walking in was Damon and Stefan Salvatore dressed in the usual leather jacket and shirt attire. The college pub was empty with glasses scattered on several tables and crumbs littering the floor. The two brothers took a seat on bar stools, Damon pouring a drink for both of them. They both took a sip.

"So, Damon," Stefan set his glass down. "What now?"

"I don't know, brother," Damon sighed. "I mean, the whole reason we even went to New Orleans was to get Klaus to one, save Caroline's life and two, compel Elena's memories back. But it looks like we only got half of what we came for. I don't know about you, but I think we just got gypped."

"No kidding. What I don't get is why the hell he wouldn't come back with us in the first place?"

"Exactly," Damon threw his arms in the air. "Here he goes around pining over the same girl and then suddenly he leaves, like what the hell is even going on in New Orleans? I feel like we learned nothing by going there."

"Well, what about the whole thing with the expression triangle? You know that it's going to affect us just as much as it'll affect him."

"I don't know, Stefan, I didn't think that far," Damon went in for another sip of his drink. "The guy told us to leave, so we did. If he wanted our help, he would've asked."

"I guess," Stefan sighed.

The two brothers clinked their drinks together and gulped down the rest. Damon took another bottle and refilled their glasses when Elena, Liv, Luke, and Tyler walked in.

"About time," Damon lifted up his drink. "Join the party."

Elena rolled her eyes.

"Isn't it a little early in the day to be drinking?" Liv frowned as she yanked the bottle from the Salvatore.

"Suit yourself," Damon shrugged.

"Alright, so why're all here?" Tyler asked.

Elena reached into her bag and pulled out a stuffed bear.

"We're here for this," she set the bear down in front of them.

"We're here… for a teddy bear?" Tyler stared at the stuffed animal confused.

Damon smacked him with the bear, Tyler looking obviously shocked at Damon's display.

"Hey!" Tyler pushed the bear away.

"It's not just _any_ teddy bear, its Bonnie's teddy bear," Damon explained, ignoring Tyler. "She sent it from retro-hell, dumby."

"But why?" Luke asked picking up the bear, "Why send a stuffed animal, and not herself?"

"Well, she is still stuck with your guys' sociopathic of a brother," Damon offered. "I wouldn't be surprised if the psycho tried to force her into bringing him home with her."

Liv touched the bear and closed her eyes, "I can feel her magic surging through this bear. She must've put it in here so Kai couldn't use it against her."

"Wait," Elena jumped in. "Then how can she get back without her magic?"

"She can't," Luke said sadly. "Only Bennett blood and magic can send her home, without it, she's stuck there forever."

"Well, there has to be another way. That just can't be it," Elena interjected, "We can't just leave her there with Kai."

"Well, there is one way," Liv started, but Luke stopped her.  
"What? What is it?" Elena pushed.

Liv looked to Luke pleadingly.

"You can't be serious?" Luke frowned at her, "You know how dangerous that would be."

Damon dashed forward and grabbed his shirt glaring at him.

"Damon! What're you doing?" Elena cried.

"If there's any way to save our friend, you better spit it out blondie before I get cranky," the older Salvatore threatened.

"Hey! Let go of him!" Liv commanded, punching his arm.

"Damon," Elena crossed her arms. "Let him go."

Damon looked to the brunette and back at Liv. He rolled his eyes and freed Luke, who scrambled away. Liv hovered protectively over him, putting her arm around Luke.

Elena sighed and turned back to Liv.

"If there's any way to save Bonnie, it would be great if you'd tell us. I've known her all my life and she's always been there for me, so this is my chance to be there for her. So please, please help us."

Liv looked down at her brother who refused to look at the group. Liv sighed.

"There is one way to save your friend," Liv began. "But it would acquire some items."

"Alright," Damon nodded. "Lay it on us. What do you need?"

"I need the ascendant and Bennett blood."

"We can ask Bonnie's mom for some blood," Stefan added. "But I don't know where we'd find the ascendant."

"Jo has it," Liv said.

"Alaric's girlfriend?" Elena said confused.

"So you're telling me, I have to steal the ascendant from my best friend's girlfriend?" Damon asked.

"Well, if you want to save your friend–"

"I'll do it."

"Wait, really?" Elena turned to him, "You know Jo won't just hand it to anybody, right? That ascendant is the only thing keeping her safe from Kai."

"Who said I was going to ask nicely?" Damon grinned.

"Damon…"

"Damon's right," Stefan joined. "This is our only chance to help Bonnie. The next full moon is in a couple days and I don't think Bonnie can wait another month so I think we should take it."

"But it doesn't feel right to just take it from Jo…"

Damon shrugged, "Fine. Stefan will ask nicely first, but if she says no we're doing it my way."

Elena pressed her lips in a fine line, staring at Damon before she finally gave in.

"Fine," she relented. "Just don't hurt her."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"What kind of spell are we talking about?" Stefan asked.

Liv looked at the younger Salvatore and replied, "I can only send one of you to her and you would only be there for a half hour before the spell ceases."

"Why so short?"

"Well, Luke here doesn't want to help and the spell requires a lot of magic, if I tried to send more than one or make it last longer, I might die in the process."

"Makes sense."

"Alright, sounds like a plan," Damon threw a thumbs up.

"Great, I'll call Bonnie's mom and see if she'll send us some blood," Elena started getting up from her seat.

"And I'll go steal myself some witchy woo woo," Damon chimed.

"Wait, guys," Stefan called out to the two of them.

They both stopped and turned to him.

"What?"

"We haven't decided who we're sending."

* * *

Caroline took a sip out of her strawberry milkshake, letting its frozen goodness tickle her insides. She plucked the red maraschino cherry off the top of the whip cream and bit into it, pulling it from its stem. Something about being a vampire made milkshakes taste a thousand times better. She looked up from her meal to see her mom giggling at her.

"What?"

Liz pointed to her nose, "You have a little whip."

Caroline's eyes focused on her nose where a clump of whip sat making her look cross-eyed. Liz laughed further. Caroline frowned and grabbed a napkin to dab it off.

"Real mature, mom."

"Hey," Liz held up her hands defensively. "I could've let you walk around with that on your face for a couple more hours, but I thought otherwise."

"Oh, so you're suddenly 'Mother of the Year'!" Caroline tried to suppress her smile, but the way her mom was glowing made it impossible to, so she let out a little laugh.

Liz set her fork down and folded her hands on her lap.

"Alright, so we've finished dinner at–"

"Lyon's Hall," Caroline said proudly.

"Lyon's Hall," Liz continued. "So what's next?"

"Hmm, let's see." Caroline grabbed her purse and began to rummage through until she pulled out a list, "Alright! So we finished shopping at that one boutique, and we bought my mini fridge at that one store, and we finished grocery shopping, and we went bowling, and we're done with dinner, so, um… I think that's it actually."

"Wow, what a day," Liz sighed, leaning back in her seat.

"Oh, was it too much?"

"No, of course not, hun. I'm just a little exhausted is all."

"I mean, you can just drop me off at Whitmore now," Caroline said, pulling on her denim coat. "I mean, Elena's been texting me nonstop about Bonnie. And I mean, if you're tired, it's totally cool with me."

"Actually," Liz sat up. "There's one more thing I'd like to do."

Caroline beamed, "Yeah, sure anything! What'd you want to do?"

"I'd like to go for a walk in the park," Liz started. "I have something to tell you."

* * *

The light taps of Klaus' footsteps echoed in the empty cemetery. It was nearly dusk as the last rays of light began to fade into the horizon. Finn sat atop a stone grave, his head down and eyes closed listening to the nearing footsteps.

"I see you've finally made it, brother," he hummed.

Klaus emerged from behind the statues, glaring at him.

"How did you know."

"How did I know what?" Finn looked up to meet his eyes.

"How did you know about my daughter."

Finn chuckled, "I had some help is all."

"Who," Klaus stepped forward. "Who told you."

"Now, now, brother." Finn jumped up from his seat, "No need to be paranoid. I assure you, it wasn't any of your little _friends_."

"Then who," Klaus snarled.

Finn grinned.

"Answer me!"

Finn flicked his hand and Klaus fell to the ground, the veins in his head popping instantaneously at once. He clutched his head with his hands and bent over in agony.

"Enough with the talk, brother. Tell me where mother is or I'll send my very loyal werewolves to kill your daughter."

The pain ceased and Klaus remained on his knees with his arms propping him up.

"I grow impatient," Finn growled. "Tell me where our mother is."

"I'm here, my son."

Finn looked up from his brother and saw Esther in tattered clothing. She clung to a gravestone trying to keep her balance.

"Mother!" Finn ran to her, taking her hand. "What happened? What did he do to you?"

Esther looked away from him ashamed.

"What is it?"

It was then that Finn noticed a blot on her mouth. Taking his finger he wiped it from her chin and held it up to the light. Immediately Esther's eyes turned to the blood and her veins began to protrude from under her lids. Finn jumped back, Esther falling to the ground.

"No," he gasped. "No, you're… you're a vampire."

Esther's eyes reversed back to normal, only further revealing her shame.

"I tried to fight it!" she exclaimed. "I fought it as long as I could."

Finn grasped his head in disbelief.

"But you have to understand, Finn," Esther wailed. "I was just so… _hungry_."

Esther went to grab his arms pleadingly, but he slapped them away.

"No, you are a disgrace," he shook his head disapprovingly. "You are a hypocrite. A hypocrite! Everything you told me… Everything you believed in… You lied!"

"No, son, no!"

"Get away from me!" Finn backed away.

Esther began to sob. Klaus' chuckle filled the air as Finn glared back at him.

"_You_ did this to her!"

"Me?" Klaus said innocently, "No, I did nothing. This was all sister's idea. If anything we've done you a favor." Klaus motioned to Esther, "We've but shown you her true identity, brother. That she, in fact, is just as much as a monster as we are."

Finn fumed with anger as he scowled at him.

With a smug grin, Klaus continued, "Now why don't you know tell me how you found my daughter?"

Finn looked at him bewildered. He began to laugh, his laugh becoming louder as her threw his head back crazily.

"You think I didn't know that something like this might happen?" Finn wagged his finger, "I know you too well to know that I should always have a plan B."

Klaus' smirk quickly faded.

"I must admit, I never would've guessed you'd turn our own mother into the atrocity she created, but I guess that serves her right. No matter, I'll just follow through with my plan," he pulled out his phone and pressed send. "Good luck trying to save your child from a pack wolves, brother, I hear they have a nasty bite."

With a snap of his finger, he and Esther disappeared leaving only Klaus. Quickly grabbing his phone out of his pocket he dialed a number.

"Yes, brother?" a voice answered on the other line.

"Elijah, Finn has a pack of wolves heading your way. Stop them at any cost," Klaus commanded.

"And what of Hayley and Hope?"

"I'll be there as soon as possible."

"Understood."

Klaus hung up and jammed the phone back into his pocket, he was about to dash out when Kol came running out.

"No, wait Klaus! You have to stop, Elijah!" Kol said breathlessly.

Klaus' gaze focused on him. An anger began to burn within him at the sight of his treacherous brother. Klaus dashed forward, slamming Kol into a gravestone as he roughly grasped his neck.

"You have a lot of nerve coming here after your role in our sister's disappearance, Kol."

Kol choked under his grip, "I-I know… But we need to stop Elijah!"

"And why should I listen to the likes of you."

Kol's eyes began to roll back, "Because I know about the expression triangle."

That made Klaus stop. He let go of Kol. He fell to the ground and gasped for air.

"How do you know about that?" he scowled.

"It doesn't matter," Kol tried to pull himself up. "Because if we don't stop Elijah now, twelve werewolves are about to be a part of the second sacrifice."

* * *

Elijah burst out of the room, loosening his tie and undoing the first two buttons on his shirt. He zoomed down the stairs when Hayley suddenly ran out of the room.

"This is crazy, Elijah!" Hayley said rushing after him.

Elijah ignored her and continued to walk towards the gate, rolling up his sleeves pristinely. Hayley dashed forward, blocking his way. Elijah stopped and frowned at her.

"Hayley, move," he said sternly.

"No," she said defiantly. "This is crazy, Elijah and you know it."

Elijah turned away from her, annoyed by her qualms.

"Listen to me," she moved towards him. "I don't give a damn what Klaus says. You're not going to face a pack of wolves on your own. One bite and you're–"

"Yes, Hayley, I am very well aware of what one werewolf bite will do," Elijah interrupted her. "But we both know, it won't be enough to kill me. Now there are wolves out there that are coming to kill my brother's daughter and I'll be damned if I don't do something about it. So if you'll excuse me."

Elijah made his way for the gate again, but Hayley still blocked him.

"Hayley," he said more annoyed.

"Elijah, I cannot allow you to make that sacrifice for my child. I will go."

He shook his head, "No. You're still a new vampire, they'll easily overwhelm you. I will go."

He pushed past her, but Hayley grabbed his arm. Elijah shrugged her off and vamped out the gate leaving Hayley alone in the courtyard.

* * *

Stepping out into the street, Elijah observed his surroundings. It was night now and the streets were empty. The lonely street lamps illuminated the city. Elijah closed his eyes and let his senses take over. He could hear the shuffling of feet in the distance, the sounds of scratching shoes on the rough concrete. He could hear the heavy breaths they took as they ran past the empty streets and he could smell the perspiration that sweated from their clothes.

Elijah opened his eyes and dashed towards the direction he heard the noise. Zooming past countless streets and empty stores, he found himself in an open area. Flap poles stood in a row as a statue of Simon Bolivar towered over him. Suddenly, voices could be heard. Elijah hid behind the shadow of the statue as he watched the group of werewolves funnel into view.

From the distance, he could see that each of the wolves had an enchanted ring on their finger. He scowled. They could turn at any given moment which was going to be a problem.

"Where did he say Klaus lived again?" one member asked.

"He said he lived in that fancy mansion down by the French quarter on Bourbon Street," another answered.

"Will you guys shut up and move. We're supposed to kill the kid and then get out of there. You know how he gets when we don't get the job done quickly."

"I can take Klaus," one challenged.

"Oh really?" one scoffed. "Did you hear about the wolves that were slaughtered just last night?"

"That was him?" another growled.

"What do you think? Mass slaughter and no witnesses. It has the damned hybrid written all over it."

"Think about it. That could've been us…"

"Well, if killing this kid hurts him, then I'd do it a thousand times. Fucking bastard deserves all the pain in the world."

The leader stopped in his place holding his arm out to stop the others. He scanned the area suspiciously.

"What? What is it, Jason?" asked one of his followers.

"There's someone here."

The all searched around in place, fearing the worst.

"That someone has a name," an elegant voice called out.

All attention turned towards the statue. Elijah stepped out from behind and leaned against it with his arms crossed.

"I'm Elijah," he looked towards them. "You heard of me?"

Some of the members nervously nodded their heads as they stared back at the original.

"I realize your master has ordered you to attack my niece, but I'm here to encourage you not to. So I suggest you run back home and leave this place with your lives intact before I change my mind and kill you for even knowing that my niece lives," he said calmly, but with a tinge of threat in his tone.

The leader stepped forward, "I'm afraid we can't do that. Orders are orders."

"Yes, well, if you choose to follow through with your orders I can't guarantee that you'll escape with your lives."

The members took a step back as Elijah's stare bore into them, but the leader remained still. He spat on the ground and snarled at him.

"Typical vampire. That's all you vampires do. Kill. You kill and kill and kill, until there's nothing left. At least when we turn, we try to shield the innocent from the havoc we may cause. But vampires are truly evil. You choose to gorge in your prey's blood and relish in tearing them apart. At least after we turn we come back humans. There's no turning back for you guys, vampires are just always monsters."

Elijah stared back at the leader, as if affected by his words. But that sympathy went away when he rushed forward and stabbed his fangs into the nearest member's neck and threw him to the ground. The wolves looked at him in a mix of shock and anger. When Elijah turned to look at them with their member's blood dripping down his neck, his eyes were dangerously red and he wore a grin on his face.

"You call me a monster," he laughed. "Well allow me to show you just how much of a monster I can be."

He dashed forward and the fighting commenced.

* * *

It was quiet and even for someone with super human hearing, quiet was nearly impossible. But as Liz and Caroline strolled through the park, it was quiet. They walked in silence for a while, but Caroline could feel the anxiety welling inside her. What did her mom want to talk about? It seemed like everything was going so well that it would seem strange if something went wrong. She walked a step behind her mom, watching her walk ahead. They finally arrived at the bench where Liz proceeded to take a seat. Caroline looked at her mom curiously before joining her.

Liz broke the silence.

"Caroline, how do you grasp an eternity?"

Caroline looked at her confused, "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're a vampire, hun. You have an eternity ahead of you."

"Well, yeah, but–"

"How do you even comprehend that much time?" she continued. "I mean, eighty years seems like forever to me, but an eternity is… is infinite."

"What are you trying to say?"

Liz finally pulled away from her daze and looked directly at her daughter.

Caroline shrugged, "I mean, I know an eternity is a very long time, but I don't know. I never really… thought about it. I don't know, mom. I try not to think ahead too much because then I get anxious and I feel the need to plan ahead and… yeah."

Liz laughed, "I'm happy that even after becoming a vampire, you're still my daughter."

"And I'll always be your daughter, mom." Caroline rested her head on Liz's shoulder, "I doubt an eternity could ever change that."

"Even if I won't be here forever," Liz said sadly.

Caroline pulled away to look at her mother.

"Don't say that."

"Well, surely it's crossed your mind."

"I told you, I try not to think about it, mom." Caroline rested her hands on her lap, uncomfortable with the sudden change in the conversation, "I don't want to think about a time when you won't be there. I have years until I have to worry about that."

"What if you only had a few months."

Caroline's eyes snapped back to her mom's shocked by her words.

"What."

Liz looked at her sadly and placed her hand on top of Caroline's, rubbing it soothingly. Caroline could see the tears about to spill out of Liz's eyes. Something was wrong. Something wasn't right. She looked at her concerned and worried.

"What's wrong, mom? What happened?" she asked.

"I've been meaning to tell you this, honey, but…" She gripped Caroline's hand in hers, "I have stage two brain cancer."

"What," Caroline said breathlessly. "No… No. No, mom, no you don't!"

"Yes, I do, Caroline," Liz started to break into tears. "After you dropped me off at the hospital, the doctor's did a scan for any internal injuries."

Caroline's eyes grew wide at her realization, tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Mom, no!" Caroline cried, "You can't have cancer, you can't!"

But Liz only continued, "They found a malignant tumor in my brain. They said they needed to start treatment immediately to stop the cancer cells from spreading any further, but they said it wouldn't be able to stop the cancer from affecting the cells in my brain."

"No, no, no, no," Caroline dug her face into her mom's shoulder desperately holding onto her.

"I'm so sorry, honey," Liz cried as she wrapped her arms around her. "I wanted to tell you before, but you were having so much fun and I didn't want to ruin our day together. But I've been waiting to tell you this since you left me at the hospital, but then you got bit by that werewolf and I wasn't able to help you."

This was not what she was expecting. She knew one day her mom wouldn't be around anymore, but she figured that would be thirty, forty years down the road, not months away. It was too soon. She had already lost her father, she wasn't ready to lose her mother. So as she clung to her mother's dying body, she held onto the last moments she had with her, trying to preserve every minute she had left.

Liz held her tightly, feeling Caroline's tears soak through her shirt. Caroline held onto her protectively, refusing to let go.

This wasn't what she wanted to wake up to. She woke up from a nightmare, only to be greeted by another.

* * *

A resounding crash echoed in the compound as the entry gates slammed against the walls. Hayley set Hope back into her crib and closed the door behind her quietly. She quickly dashed down the stairs to seize the intruder when she realized who it was.

"Marcel!" she said annoyed, her hands wrapped around his neck. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check what was up," Marcel choked. Hayley quickly pulled her hands away as he began to stroke his neck. "The vamps and I can smell blood down by the Bolivar. I told them I'd go see what was going on."

Hayley crossed her arms together.

"Then why come here first?"

"Well," Marcel looked at her, confused as to why she was being so defensive. "I came to ask Klaus to join me, y'know, just in case things got rough."

"Well, he's not here."

Marcel eyed her suspiciously, "I can see that. So where is he?"

"Out."

"Where."

"In the Lafayette Cemetery."

"Why."

"That's none of your business."

Marcel's stare bore into her as he searched for answers, but her mouth remained shut. He nodded and turned to walk away. Hayley let out a sigh of relief as he began to leave until there was a baby's cry.

Marcel stopped in his tracks, listening to the cries from upstairs. Turning back to Hayley, he saw her skin had gone faintly pale as if she was frozen in place. Her eyes were wide and her lower jaw shaking. Marcel looked at her in shock, unable to process what was going on. Hayley quickly dashed back to Hope's room and held her in her arms, Marcel following after her. The moment he caught sight of Hope, his mouth went agape. He was in shock. _How could this be_? She was supposed to be dead, and yet, there she was crying into Hayley's chest.

"Marcel," Hayley said desperately. Marcel's attention was pulled away from the baby as he looked back to Hayley. "You can't tell anyone," she said gravely. "If anyone finds out my baby is alive… they'll kill her."

Marcel slowly nodded his head, still unable to process what he had just witnessed. A scream filled the air and the baby stopped crying. Hayley and Marcel rushed to the window to see what was happening, but the streets were still empty. They looked at each other.

"What's going on, Hayley, I need to know now."

For a moment, Hayley just stared back at him, unsure whether or not to trust him. But she relented.

"Elijah… he… he got a call from Klaus that Finn was sending a pack of wolves to kill Hope, so he left to stop them," she explained.

Marcel's eyes grew wide as he suddenly remembered what he had learned a while ago. Something about three sacrifices and an ultimate power. He grabbed Hayley's shoulders roughly.

"We have to stop him!"

"What, why? What's going on?"

"Did they say how many wolves there were?"

"No?" Hayley answered confused, she set Hope back down into her crib. "What? Why do you need to…" she trailed off when she remembered.

She remembered being a part of an ancient ritual. A ritual that required the sacrifices of many in return for power.

"No," she gasped.

_It couldn't be. _

"I have to stop him!" Marcel turned to leave the room.

Marcel rushed out back onto the streets, leaving Hayley alone. He took a whiff of the air, letting the scent of fresh blood fill his senses. He turned towards the empty street and dashed away. He just hoped he wouldn't be too late.

* * *

Blood. The sweet, sweet smell of blood. And the texture. The smooth and silky way fresh blood splatters on the ground. And that deep red, that deep red that's so alluring and compelling that you can't pull away. That's what he loved most about killing. Not the kill itself, but the blood.

He snapped his neck away from the victim he had just sucked dry. Their blood electrifying his dead veins. He stared down at the motionless bodies that were scattered before him, the terror that was now permanently frozen in their eyes. He watched as one victim pathetically tried to drag himself away, watched as he desperately clung to his life with every pull. Elijah strolled over to him and knelt down to his level.

The man looked up to him, disgust on his face.

"Go to hell," he spat.

Though Elijah appreciated his bravery, he pulled the man up and sunk his teeth into his neck, consuming whatever was left and threw his lifeless body to the ground.

**_He looked up to see a brown-haired maiden staring at him shocked. _**

**_ "Katerina," he said breathlessly. _**

**_ She stared at him shaken as he looked down at his hands and saw he was covered in blood. He looked back at her ashamed, he was afraid she'd run away. But instead she ran towards him and taking one of the folds of her dress, she proceeded to wipe the blood away. He didn't know what to say, he didn't expect her to react in such a way. _**

**_ "Katerina."_**

**_ "Sshh," she hushed him as she began to wipe away the blood on his neck._**

**_ As she continued to clean him, he studied her carefully, waiting for her to scream. But she did no such thing. Instead she continued to busy herself. He didn't understand. He didn't understand why she didn't run off. This was the first time she had ever seen him like this, as his true self, as a monster. But she did not run. She stayed. And when she reached up to wipe his lips, he grasped her arm and looked at her. _**

**_ "Why aren't you afraid…" he asked, but she didn't respond. "I am a monster and yet you do not flee. Why?"_**

**_ She broke from his grasp and placed her hands around his face, all the while never breaking from his stare. _**

**_ "You're far from it."_**

Elijah broke from his trance. Blood still soaked his shirt and dripped from his chin. He looked down at his hands, and wiped them on his pants. He heard a shuffle and his attention was brought back up. Klaus stood before him, Kol as well. His brother's face didn't show shock, nor gratitude, but only seriousness as he scanned the dead bodies that littered the ground. Blood soaked the grass and was splattered on the statue.

Kol counted the bodies and shook his head, he turned from the scene, his back facing him upset. He rubbed his temples.

"Brother, I…" Elijah tried to explain, but Klaus stopped him with the wave of his hand.

"Its fine," he spoke. "You were just doing what I told you."

"What now," Kol sighed.

"We clean up this mess," he said. "And then we go home."

"But that's twelve werewolves, Klaus. Twelve! One more sacrifice and–"

"We've got ourselves an expression triangle, I know, Kol," Klaus replied irritably. "But for now, we must go home."

Elijah walked towards them, unsure of what to say.

Klaus turned to Kol, "Burn the bodies and clean up this mess. I'll meet back with you in the morning."

Kol frowned, but reluctantly nodded.

Elijah and Klaus began to move away from the scene. Klaus handing him a handkerchief.

"That's two sacrifices, brother," Elijah said breaking the silence.

"Which means we've got one more to go before we have a real problem on our hands," Klaus finished.

Klaus' phone began to ring. He reached into his pocket and pulled it out as he pushed it against his ear.

"Uh, Klaus…" the voice called on the line.

"What is it Hayley?"

"Your sister's awake."

* * *

**I know, I know. It's been like three weeks since I last posted... things have just be complicated. I apologize that this chapter wasn't as long as last time, considering I had all this time to write it... but there were only some times I wanted to cover in this chapter and I realized its kind of hard to write both shows together, like wow. But I'll get better at integrating both shows as I progress because at some point, SPOILER ALERT, both shows will become ONE just like how it used to be. That's one of the main goals of my story by the way. Besides having Klaroline become endgame, I want to create the organic crossover that Julie Plec &amp; Co was unable to. This is me showing you guys, how I think both shows should've gone about it. But I must warn you, I think my story would lead to the end of both shows... like the kind of conclusion I wanted for the show I once loved so much. But don't worry, there's still a lot I have to cover until I end this story.**

**As you guys know, I do read all the reviews I get and I realize that many of you are really pushing me to reunite Klaus and Caroline now. I'd hate to pull a Julie, but I'm really waiting for it to be"organic" (damn that word). Personally, I don't think they're ready to reunite yet. I feel like they still need time to figure out their shit, Klaus with his family and Caroline with her dying mother. So I know many of you want them to be together now, and trust me, so do I. But its not time, not yet. I've always been an advocate for the build up when it comes two characters coming together. Two characters finally being together is just the icing on the cake, but I want to watch them interact and fight and fall in love slowly because that's what I think makes Klaus and Caroline's relationship so dynamic.**

**And another thing. I know you guys don't like the idea of the baby. I know. I know. Me too. But its not something I can ignore. I mean, its the main reason why Klaus left for New Orleans, right? I still have to tie her into the story whether we like it or not. But don't worry guys, I'll deal with her later. **

**How did you guys think about my Liz and Caroline scene? This is a scene I've been anticipating, and something I definitely I felt strongly about. From the beginning, I always believed that Caroline shouldn't have heard about her mother's cancer from anyone else besides her mom. And when her mom was suffering, Caroline should've been with her up until her death. Not locking lips with Stefan... like seriously, wtf. So here I am to show you how I thought it should've been done. In my mind, I always thought that this whole situation should've been between Caroline and Liz from the beginning. I hated that the writers made too many people be involved. Like wow. So prepare for a lot of mother-daughter moments that should've existed in the show. **

**Ok. So now onto last night's TVD episode. **

**SPOILER ALERT.**

**In regards to Dark Caroline. You know I loved the idea that Caroline would explore her dark side, the side that Klaus always told her about. But I didn't think the writers would make her turn off her emotions. I don't know. Personally, I think that's very OOC of Caroline mostly because I've always seen turning off your emotions as something cowardly. Like you couldn't deal with you problems, so you decided to ignore them. And I didn't realize this until Katherine called Elena out on her shit for turning off her emotions in season 4. Like its such a cowardly thing to do. And one of the things I loved the most about Caroline was that despite all the terrible things that happened to her, she always managed to endure and become a stronger person rather than turning it off like Stefan, Damon, and Elena. Like that's what I admired the most about her, but the writers have just thrown all that character development away. Don't even get me started as to how overused the tactic is though, making every vampire just turn it off at some point is ridiculous... But I definitely loved how Klaus and Katherine never turned it off even though they've probably faced the most adversity in the show. So kudos to them. Back to Dark Caroline, we'll see if I decide to follow through with that. I mean, I did say I follow fairly close to what's happening on both shows just portrayed in a different way. But we'll see. If I do decide to go through with it, just know I have a plot twist for it. *wink**

**END OF SPOILER ALERT.**

**As always, thanks for reading. I really appreciate it. I see that even when I'm not updating, new people still start to read/favorite my story, so welcome to my newbies! Its going to be a crazy next two-three weeks cause the quarter is almost over and I have a lot of papers to write that I procrastinated on... whoops... but I hope to update soon! Please don't lose faith in me! I will make Klaroline endgame! I swear it!**

**Anyways.. UNTIL NEXT TIME!**

**READ. REVIEW. SHARE.**

Chapter Question: Who do you think will complete the expression triangle?

**BYE GUYS!**


	12. Chapter 12 Diamonds and Triangles

**Hey guys...**

**I know. I know. I am the worst writer in the world. I am so sorry that I haven't updated in three months. I'm a terrible person, I know, and I'm really sorry. No excuses. And because I'm sorry, I swear I will make it up to you guys. I SWEAR. From now on, I will update periodically (hopefully like I did before, once a week). And that's just the start of my list of ways to make it up to you guys. This chapter also happens to be the longest I've ever written and I expect my other ones to be the same since I write for both shows now. Honestly, it took me forever to write this chapter (three months forever). I would write parts of it and then go on for weeks not even looking at it. It's been tough, guys. It's honestly just a lack of motivation, but after watching the season finales of TVD S6 and TO S2, I have found reason to write. Forgive me if my writing isn't all that great, it's been awhile since I've done this. **

**Stay tuned for my review of TVD S6 and TO S2, it'll mostly be me ranting and probably giving spoilers from the show. **

**As always... have at it. **

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters, if I did Klaus and Caroline would be together.**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Diamonds and Triangles**

Finn traced his finger across the sand, engraving symbols with every twist. Taking handfuls of salt he filled the indents he had made and placed candles in an arranged display. The tomb was dark with only the dim glow of the candles to illuminate the room. Two bodies lay deathly still in the center, one male and one female. Finn murmured a spell as he continued to fill the empty spaces. When he had finished, he walked towards the female and taking a knife, carved a cross on her forehead. He took a step back and looked down at his work.

Esther and Mikael lay dormant on the floor. Their skin sickly pale with dark veins protruding from their skin.

"It didn't have to be like this," he spoke. "It wasn't supposed to be."

He circled around them slowly.

"We could've been happy. We _were_ happy. Just us together. But then you had to have_ them_," he scowled. "They're the reason why we're here now, the reason why we're miserable. They did this. All of them. They were monsters long before you turned them into vampires, turned _us_ into vampires. And now here we are. A thousand years later. Trying to get rid of the atrocities you two created."

Finn shook his head and laughed tiredly as he rub his forehead frustratingly. He looked down at Esther and Mikael again before kneeling down next to them.

"Don't worry mother, father," he whispered. "I'll get rid of them myself."

* * *

Elijah stood in front of the mirror buttoning up the last few buttons on his freshly ironed grey blouse. After smoothing out the edges, he pulled a tie from his drawer and proceeded to wrap it around his neck, careful not to wrinkle it. Just as the noose of the tie was pulled up to his collar, he dropped his arms to his sides and took a good look at himself.

Visions of the slaughter from last night replayed in his mind. The smell of fresh blood still clogged in his senses and the stain of those he had killed still bled into his nightmares.

**_You're far from it._**

He sighed and pulled on his jacket. He walked downstairs to join his siblings around the dining room table.

"Elijah," Klaus greeted him. "It's about time you joined us."

Elijah nodded with a small smile before taking a seat. He glanced back at the strange woman from across the table. It still boggled his mind that his little sister was somewhere in there. She seemed too quiet and too shy to be his sister. _Was it really her_? He quickly turned his gaze away when Rebekah looked at him.

"Forgive me, Niklaus," he replied. "I was far more exhausted than I expected."

"Rough night."

Elijah frowned at him.

"You didn't miss much, brother," Klaus continued. "Rebekah was just telling me about what happened before she passed ou–"

"I can speak for myself, Nik," Rebekah interjected.

_Yup. Definitely, his sister._

Klaus raised his hands up defensively as Rebekah glared at him. She turned to Elijah.

"I woke up in a bloody mansion full of crazy people, Elijah. CRAZY PEOPLE!"

Klaus rolled his eyes as he walked to the other end of the table.

"I kept telling them I was Rebekah Mikaelson, but those idiots kept calling me 'Lyn'. And every night they'd take me from my room and drag me downstairs so they could perform some bloody ritual!"

"What kind of ritual?" he asked.

"I don't know? But they'd chant all together and dance around me in a circle while throwing powder and herbs at me. It was frightening," she huffed. "And what do you know? I wake up one day to be saved by Marcel and Stefan, only to pass out again and find myself with greeted by Damon Salvatore! Of all people! It was incredibly confusing and frustrating and Kol was being an ass, and–"

Just as his name was mentioned, Kol's head popped out from outside the room, peaking in.

"You called?" he said snidely.

Rebekah's gaze turned to his and suddenly a fire ignited in her eyes. She jumped from her seat, running to strangle him. Klaus rushed forward and held her back.

"What the hell is he doing here?" she screamed.

"Now, now sister," Kol grinned. "Is that how you greet your brother after not seeing him for a while?"

"Oh shut it, Kol!" Rebekah spat. "Why the hell is he here, Nik? It's his fault I'm in this body."

"I too agree with Rebekah's notion," Elijah said as he frowned at the sight of his younger sibling.

"Yes, I know," Klaus replied calmly. "And he will pay dearly for his efforts to ruin this family in time, but for now, we need his help."

Rebekah looked back at him in disbelief and anger, she glared at Kol.

"Why do we need _his_ help?"

"Well, sister," Kol said as he pushed past Klaus and walked towards her. "It's cause I'm the only one who knows how to stop it."

"Stop what?"

"The Expression Triangle."

Rebekah's eyes went wide. She flipped her head between her brothers in shock.

"While you were asleep, Stefan presented me with a map that he had found in the Fauline mansion while he was looking for you," Klaus explained. "There were three locations marked on it."

Rebekah turned away from them, thinking to herself. Her brothers watched her curiously. When she turned to face them again, the shock had been washed away from her face, but the horror was still evident in her eyes.

"We believe it was the makings of another expression triangle," he continued.

"From the slaughter of the witches in the Fauline mansion two days ago to the killing of the wolves at Bourbon Street last night by our lovely brother," Kol motioned to Elijah who quickly glanced away. "There's only one sacrifice left."

"The humans," Rebekah finished. "The last sacrifice is the humans… isn't it?"

"Yes, and seeing that they are the weaker of the three, we have to make it our utmost priority that no one harms them," Elijah added. "Well, at least until we find who's trying to complete the Expression Triangle and why."

"That still doesn't explain why we need Kol to help us," Rebekah frowned.

"Because, sister, I'm the only one who knows anything and everything about it. And had Jeremy not killed me, I would've been able to help you guys the first time. But obviously, things didn't go as I had hoped."

The room fell silent at the remembrance of his death and how they had been helpless to save him. Rebekah shifted uncomfortably before letting out a loud sigh.

"Alright, fine," she said. "What the hell do you need us to do?"

Kol grinned.

"Well, as of right now, I am still working on the plan. But for starters, I need a witch."

"Well, that's simple enough. We can ask Davina or one of Marcel's other witches," Elijah offered.

"No, I don't need just any witch," he said. "I need a Bennett witch."

The three of them looked at him surprised.

"Get me Bonnie Bennett."

* * *

Bonnie shot up awake on the couch breathing heavily, her book falling to the ground. Pulling the wool blanket that was mysteriously wrapped around her off, she set her feet on the ground and scanned the room. She was still in the Salvatore's living room. The fireplace was off and the curtains were open, but the couch in front of her was empty. Kai-less. Getting up, she moved cautiously through the room and into the hallway checking every corner.

As she neared the kitchen, she started to smell the waft of food. She came to the doorway of the kitchen and saw Kai dressed in a baseball tee and jeans, standing in front of the stove. As she leaned up against the door frame, she crossed her arms and cleared her throat. Kai turned to look and smiled when he realized it was her.

"What's that you got there?" Bonnie asked.

Kai lifted up the pan to show her.

"I'm making bacon and eggs," he said innocently. "You want some?"

She looked at him suspiciously before taking a seat at the dining room table where Kai proceeded to set down a plate of sunny side up eggs, bacon, and toast in the shape of a smiley face. _How cheesy._ Taking her fork she stabbed at the yolk, letting it ooze onto the plate as Kai took a seat in front of her with a cheeky smile. She took bites of her food as Kai watched. She looked back up to him and frowned.

"What?" she demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he grinned.

"Why do you keep looking at me like that?"

"Looking at you like what?" he asked.

"Oh cut the act, Kai," she groaned. "You're grinning at me like a 5 year-old who just found their parents' secret stash of candy."

"And?"

"Spill the beans, why're you in such a good mood?"

"Maybe I'm just glad I'm here with a beautiful girl like you," he winked at Bonnie and he took a bite out of his bacon.

Bonnie scoffed.

"That's funny, because I recall you being mad at me for sending my magic away."

"I got over it. It's new day, Miss Bonnie Bennett."

"That was yesterday, Kai."

"And now it's in the past, aren't you glad we made up?"

"Oh really," she challenged. "So you're telling me, that you're not mad anymore."

"Pretty much."

"Is that so," she took a bite of her toast. "Because it's okay, if you are. I mean, after all, I was your only chance of getting out of this hell hole."

"Yeah, it's fine," he smiled. "Who needs reality, when I've got you?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Stop acting like we're friends because we're most definitely not. The only reason why I'm here is because you refuse to let me go."

"Ouch," Kai placed a hand over his heart. "That hurt, Bonbon. But since you have those gorgeous eyes, I'll forgive you."

"I don't believe you," Bonnie looked at him appalled. "Where is the real Kai and what've you done with him?"

"What are you talking about," he replied. "I'm right here."

Bonnie rolled her eyes annoyed and continued to pick at her food. Kai watched her for a moment longer and smiled to himself before taking his fork and taking a bite of his eggs.

* * *

Damon stood outside in the empty hallway. It was Sunday morning and there was no one in sight, just the splits of light peaking from behind the blinds into the dark hallway. Damon stared down at his phone, a blank screen blaring back at him. He rubbed his thumb against the glass surface, its light reflecting off his eyes.

The murmurs of voices pulled him from his thoughts.

"–Bonnie's my best friend."

The brunette's voice was confident, but with a tinge of stubbornness.

_Definitely, Elena._

"Elena, it's not safe."

His brother's voice was undeniable and his diction obvious.

_Definitely, Stefan._

"I'm not a weak human anymore, Stefan, I can do this," Elena said more assertive.

"No, there's a maniac witch waiting on the Other Side," Stefan declared. "It's dangerous. I'll go."

The two continued to argue, bickering back and forth. Sighing, Damon shoved his phone into his pocket and barged into the classroom.

Liv, Elena, and Stefan turned to look at him.

"Damon."

"The one and only," he extended his arms.

"What took you so long?" Elena asked annoyed.

"Well, if I had known you missed me so much, I would've rushed right over," he teased.

Elena rolled her eyes while Stefan eyed him suspiciously. He looked at him, but just as Damon's eyes met his, he glanced away quickly.

"Well, you didn't miss much," Liv cut in. "We're still trying to figure out who should I send to get your friend."

"We're not deciding anything," Elena insisted as she moved next to her. "She's taking _me_. I'm going to save Bonnie."

"Whoa there. And who said you could go?" Damon pushed between them. He glowered over Elena, but she continued to glare.

"My thoughts exactly," Stefan affirmed. "You're not familiar with the area, Elena. What happens if Kai attacks? There won't be anyone to save you. I'm going."

The brunette scoffed and moved away from Damon. Laying her hand on her hips, she stood inches away from the younger Salvatore.

"Last time I checked, you weren't '_familiar with the area_' either," she retorted.

The two of them continued to glare at each other while the other two uncomfortably watched.

"Well, there's no way I'm letting you go there alone," Damon jumped in. Stefan turned to look at his brother as Damon patted him on the back. "They're going to have to take us both."

"Ah no," Liv shook her head.

The group looked back at her.

"Are you crazy? I only have enough magic to send one of your guys."

"But there's Luke!" Elena added.

"Yeah," Liv laughed. "He's not going to want to help."

"Well, why not?" Damon asked.

"He's afraid…" Liv mumbled.

"Of what?" Stefan stepped forward.

"He's afraid that… if you go back to save Bonnie," she paused. "You'll bring Kai back with you."

"That's ridiculous!" Damon cried. "There's no way I'd bring that psycho-maniac back with me!"

"Is it?" she said quietly.

Damon began to become enraged_. How could she possibly think that he'd help Kai escape?_ The guy was crazy, not to mention very sadistic. But before Damon could say more, Stefan stepped in.

"Well, what do you think then?"

"Stefan," his brother muttered angrily, but he held his hand out to stop him.

"No," he insisted. "Let her decide. It's her choice to decide whether or not to help us."

Damon sighed irritated by his brother's actions, and shoved his arm aside before walking to the other corner of the room.

"Well, Liv?" Elena pushed.

"I think it's dangerous," she started. "I don't know whether to trust you and take your word for it, or to run away while I still can." Stefan and Elena looked down ashamed. "But I do know this. I owe you guys."

They looked at each other relieved.

"I'm the reason why your friend's stuck there in the first place."

"So it's settled, we're going to save Bonnie."

"There's still the matter of who we're sending."

"I'll go," Damon walked back towards them. "I've been to that retro-hell and back, and if anyone's going to save Bonnie, it's going to be the guy who should've brought her back with him the first time."

Damon looked between his brother and Elena.

"Any disagreements?"

Stefan nodded approvingly.

Elena sighed defeated, "Fine."

"And that, my friends, is how you make a compromise," Damon grinned. "So when do we leave? I'd like to have Bonnie home before bedtime."

"Elena's got the Bennett blood, but we can't start anything until we have that Ascendant," Liv explained. "You have until the next full moon to get the Ascendant and bring it to me, got it?"

"No problem-o, witchy. I've already got an idea up my sleeve."

Damon smirked and tossed a bottle to Stefan who frowned at him.

"Really, Damon, Alcohol?"

"You'd be surprised how easily it loosens a non-vampire Alaric's lips. Who knows?" he shrugged. "Maybe he'll have the slip of the tongue where his girlfriend's little Ascendant thingy is."

Stefan frowned.

"Just do whatever you guys gotta do."

Damon grinned and wrapped his arm around Stefan leading him towards the door.

"Let's get outta here, Stef. We've got a friend to get drunk!"

* * *

_Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap. Tip. Tap. Tip. _

The sounds of clicking heels against the floor reverberated through the walls alongside the rolling carts down the busy halls and the rings of telephones. It was almost deafening. The sounds of closing curtains and doctors talking to patients.

_How much do I take a day? What are the side effects? When should I stop taking my medication? Does my medical insurance cover this? _

There were crying babies in the third room on the right two floors up. A patient with tuberculosis five rooms away coughing his guts out. A mother arguing with her husband what their son's name should be in the room above. An athlete getting his blood pressure tested just the floor below. And a dying mother with cancer in the room behind her…

Caroline sat uneasily outside her mother's hospital room. She thrummed her fingers in her hands uncomfortably. She knew she should be in there with her mom. She knew she should be by her side. But she was afraid. She was afraid to see her mother. Just knowing her mother was sick and dying was bad enough, but to watch her suffer made it all the more agonizing. She couldn't stand to see her like this. For years she had grown so accustomed to seeing her mother as someone strong and honorable, someone who could take down the bad guys and protect those she loved. But what happens when the hero is too sick to fight? What happens when the hero can't protect themselves? What then?

The thought only further distressed Caroline's weary mind.

Caroline shifted uneasily in her seat. There had to be a way to save her. There just had to. Her eyes immediately darted to her veins. She could hear her very own blood coursing through her dead body. Of course the thought of feeding Liz her blood had crossed her mind many times. Time and time again vampire blood had shown the miracles it could produce from healing her father from a severe dagger wound to Elena's cerebral hemorrhage. The magical properties of vampire blood seemed almost infinite in saving human lives, so naturally she wondered if it could do the same with cancer. Surely this was no different.

But something would always stop her from trying. She didn't know why, but she had a hunch that something would go terribly wrong if she did. But the more she worried, the longer the cancer would continue to kill her mom. Caroline couldn't bear the thought of being the reason why her mom died an early death. It would be too unbearable.

So Caroline continued to sit anxiously in her chair while doctors and nurses passed her by.

* * *

She remembered sitting in her bed room. She was only seven years old sitting on top of her baby pink bed sheets in her yellow painted her room. She fiddled with her princess Barbie doll as she drearily twirled it in her hands. The sound of a door opening downstairs broke the silence of the empty house. Footsteps echoed up the stairs until her bed room door slowly creaked open. Liz's head popped out from behind. She looked tired and worn out dressed in her usual uniform.

"Caroline?" Liz looked at her confused, "Why are you still awake?"

Caroline turned to look at her sadly.

"I couldn't sleep."

Liz walked towards her concerned.

"Well, why not, honey? It's past midnight and you still have school in the morning."

Liz began to usher Caroline to lay down, wrapping the covers around her gently.

"I don't want to go to school," she pouted.

"Well, why not, honey? I thought you said you liked all the cool things you were learning and all the fun projects–"

"No one wants to be friends with me," she said bluntly.

"Don't be silly. What about that girl who drew pictures with you last week?"

"She only wanted to use my crayon sharpener, mom," Caroline moped. "And then she got one of the crayons jammed in it so now I can't use it."

"I can always buy you another one, hon," Liz offered, but Caroline still sulked. "How about Lockwood's son, Tyler, he's in your grade, right? Why don't you talk to him?"

"He thinks girls have cooties and that boys are better at sports," she crossed her arms annoyed. "So I threw a football at him."

"Caroline," Liz sighed.

"He was being mean."

"That doesn't mean you have to hurt him back."

Caroline didn't respond, she just continued to play with her Barbie doll mindlessly. Liz studied her. She seemed sad. Lonely, even. She placed her hands on hers.

"I don't get why they don't want to be friends with me," Caroline grumbled. "I'm the smartest and the most creative in the class. But whenever I tell them how to do something they just call me 'bossy.'"

Liz chuckled. Caroline frowned at her.

"Hon, you're not going to make friends by bossing people around."

"But they're always doing things wrong!" she cried.

Liz laughed some more.

"And who's to say what's wrong or right?" Caroline didn't answer. "My point is, give people a chance, okay hon?"

Caroline nodded understandingly and Liz smiled tiredly.

Before tucking her in, Liz took her doll and set her gently on her desk. Turning, she glanced at the purple and pink castle that sat on the other side of the room.

"How about Gilbert's daughter? I think she's your age. Have you tried to talk to her?"

"She already has a best friend mom," Caroline said matter-a-factly.

"And she can't have more than one friend?"

"Not more than one _best friend_," she explained. "You're either someone's best friend or you're not. There is no second place."

Liz kissed her lightly on her forehead.

"Well, I hope you reconsider. I hear she's really nice. Maybe she'll play with your doll house with you."

"It's a castle, mom."

"Castle," she corrected. "Now go to sleep, hon. You still have school in the morning, okay? Good night, Caroline."

"Good night, mom."

Liz shut off the lights and shut the door.

The next day, Caroline would confront the Gilbert girl and ask her to play with her castle with her. And although she made her Barbie doll princess wear the wrong dress to the ball and made two of the handsome princes faun over hers leaving Caroline's princess alone, she let her tell the story. And it's because Caroline gave her a chance that she now has one of the most amazing best friends in her life.

Elena Gilbert.

* * *

Caroline sighed at the memory and was overcame with guilt. She had to be there with her mom, even if it hurt to see her that way. Getting up from her seat and she walked to the doorway. She lightly knocked on the door before turning the knob and opening it.

Liz sat in a chair with her left sleeve rolled up. A needle was attached to her exposed skin as increments of medication dripped from a hanging bag. Liz looked up from her book.

"You made it," she smiled relieved.

Caroline smiled back and took a step inside.

* * *

Klaus hung up his phone, tucking it in his pocket. He waited outside the streets of the busy streets of New Orleans. He was only a few blocks northwest of the French Quarter where a green condo stood behind him. He rested his arms behind his back as he waited until Jackson, Aiden, and three other werewolves came into view.

"Good afternoon, wolves."

Jackson frowned, "Cut to the chase, will ya?"

"And hello, to you too."

"Why did you call me out here, Klaus?"

"I had only hoped to introduce you to your pack's new home, but I see now your kind prefers the dirty confines of the bayou like the beasts that you are," Klaus replied bluntly.

Aiden growled. Jackson held him back.

"Easy there, A," Jackson said. He turned back to Klaus, "What are you talking about?"

Klaus motioned to the building behind him. A five story building with a simple house setting style with olive green throughout the exterior and white window frames stood before them. It had a simple black roof nestled at the top with a chimney. It was a condo.

"I rented out all of empty rooms here," he explained.

Jackson looked at him shocked.

"Furniture, water facilities, and electronics have been included and paid in full," Klaus continued. "They provide breakfast and dinner at given hours and are complimentary by yours truly. Otherwise you may buy groceries down the street and cook in the kitchens that are provided to every room."

The wolves glanced back and forth between the building and him surprised.

"It's yours if you want," he grinned.

Jackson returned his gaze to his. He looked at him suspiciously.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch," Klaus lifted his hands up innocently.

"Right, so we're to believe that you've so graciously decided to pay for the housing of our whole pack out of the sole goodness of your heart?" Aiden snarled.

"Call me a 'saint'."

Aiden shook his head unconvinced.

"I'm not buying it," he said to Jackson.

"You asked for shelter and protection for your pack until it is safe to marry you and Hayley."

"Yes," Jackson admitted.

"And have I not stayed true to my word?"

"Well, yes."

"Then a simple 'thank you' will suffice."

Aiden glared at him, but the hybrid just smirked in response. Jackson took a step forward, getting his attention.

"But when can we marry?"

"When it is safe."

"Define 'safe'."

"When I say it is so."

The alpha shook his head unconvinced.

"Tell me, Klaus," he challenged. "When is it ever safe? Was it safe when your family ruled the city? Was it safe when Marcel's vampires rampaged the streets or when the witches' ancestors came to haunt the town? Be honest with me, Klaus, has it ever been safe in New Orleans?"

Klaus broke his fake smile and glared at him.

Here he was offering the necessities they desired, and they were questioning his gifts. Ungrateful animals. He had to keep himself from losing his temper, he knew Jackson was just trying to show his pack that their alpha could stand up against the mighty hybrid. _Cute._ Klaus chuckled to himself. He would allow him to put on his little show for now. But they all knew who the real alpha was.

So he decided to choose his next words carefully.

"There are many things you don't know about. Things that leave your life hanging by a string. That leave _all_ our lives in danger. Until I may deem this place safe, I expect you and your pack to rest here or rot in the swamps. Your choice," he spat.

Aiden cringed at the change of tone in his voice.

"You may move in as soon as you wish. Whatever you may need is at your disposal, all you need is but ask," he finished.

The two of them stared down at each other, tension in the air. But Jackson reluctantly nodded and backed away. He turned to his followers.

"Tell the others to start packing, we move tomorrow morning."

The wolves nodded and began to walk away. Klaus watched Jackson, Aiden, and the rest of the wolves disappear behind the buildings. He let out a long sigh. He could feel his temper still rising at their constant acts of defiance against him. It was becoming more and more aggravating.

**_DING!_**

His phone rung. Reaching into his pocket, Klaus once more pulled out his phone to see a new message.

It read: **Deal.**

Klaus grinned and headed on his way.

* * *

Voices echoed throughout the walls of the bar while old rock music played in the background. Neon lighted signs shined "_OPEN_", "_HAPPY HOUR_", and an assortment of beer brands. The laughter of three men cut through the noise.

Damon, Stefan, and Alaric sat together at the bar, Alaric barely sitting on his seat.

"–and I kid you not, the girl was completely horrified when I told her I drank the souls of children," Alaric laughed.

Damon and Stefan laughed along with him half-heartedly as he continued to laugh hysterically. Just as Alaric was about to pour another drink, Stefan grabbed the bottle to stop him.

"I think you've had enough for one night, buddy," he said setting the bottle back down.

"Just because I don't have my," he leaned in and whispered. "Vampire tolerance anymore, doesn't mean I can't handle a couple more drinks."

Alaric giggled to himself taking a sip of his already emptied glass.

"I don't know about that, Alaric, you're kind of a lightweight," Damon joked taking another drink of his also already emptied glass.

"A lightweight. A lightweight?" Alaric scoffed, "I'll show you who's a lightweight."

Alaric grasped the bottle again and began to chug it. Bartender had to pry it from him to get him to stop while Damon laughed and Stefan watched embarrassed.

* * *

Kol stared down at the glittering jewel. The paragon diamond. It shimmered in his hand as it twisted it in his palm, he admired its mysterious beauty. Across the room, the dagger lay still. Its hilt resting on top of piles of spell parchments.

After what had happened with the Salvatores and his sister, he had to fix up the room. Many of his spells were scattered and his weapons ruined from the sudden storm. Remnants of glass still lay scattered on the floor. He had recovered as much as he could, but he had lost years of research and acquired tools. The room seemed barren now.

He walked towards the metal dagger and lifted it up. Looking between the two objects, he tried to contort an idea as to why the spell wasn't working. He had all the ingredients he needed: a powerful witch, the diamond, and the dagger. So then why wasn't it working? He had inkling to what it might be but–

"Kol?"

He immediately dropped the items back onto the table when Davina walked in. Her wavy brunette curls bounced on her shoulders as she caught glimpse of him. She smiled and rushed towards him, but stopped when her shoe broke piece of glass.

"What happened?"

"I honestly have no idea," he said, his back still turned to her.

She moved aside, careful not to step on more shards.

"Did someone break in? Everything's gone," she asked worriedly.

"Not exactly…"

She spotted the diamond and the dagger on the table and sighed in relief.

"Well, at least we still have those."

Davina went to grab them triumphantly, but Kol blocked her way, hovering protectively over the items.

She looked back at him confused, "What is it? What's wrong?"

"We need to talk," he blurted.

"Um… ok," Davina moved away upset. She crossed her arms, "Alright, then talk."

Kol leaned against the table to face Davina.

"I'm working with my brother now."

"Who? Finn?" she asked. "I mean, he's a little on the dark side. But he's gotta be better than Kl–"

"No, Davina," he cut in. "I mean I'm working with Elijah… and Klaus."

Davina stopped. She didn't know what to say.

"You're joking."

Kol shook his head, "I'm not."

"You can't be serious."

"I'm dead serious."

"Kol!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, "Earth-to-Kol, Hello? Your brother's a maniac. Remember?"

"I know, but–"

"He daggered you for centuries, controlled you all your life," she went on.

"Yes, but–"

"What happened to working together to stop him? What happened to being free from his torment? Isn't that what you wanted? What _we_ wanted."

"Nothing's changed, Davina," Kol affirmed. "Nothing's changed at all. The plan is still the same."

She rubbed his arms soothingly relieved.

"Then why are you helping him? You know he's going to betray you–"

"He has access to something I need to complete the spell."

She looked at him confused. She glanced back at the two items on the table and back to him.

"A witch."

She let go of his arms and took a step back.

"Wait, what are you saying? Aren't I–"

"I think we should stop seeing each other." He paused, "For now, at least."

"What," she barely whispered. "Why?"

Davina grasped him once more.

"I can help, Kol. I know I can!"

She tugged at his arms, but he lightly pushed her away.

"Davina, we've been working at this for weeks now and nothing's happened. It's not working."

"Maybe it's the spell," she exclaimed. "That thing's like a hundred years old. Or maybe the diamond. Klaus probably gave you a fake one, or–"

"It's you, Davina. It's you."

She looked back at him hurt, but Kol refused to meet her stare. He instead began to walk away.

She couldn't understand why he was doing this. Just the other day he was giving her kisses and they were out to stop the hybrid, and now he was leaving her. _What happened? What changed his mind? _

Davina rushed forward and grabbed the dagger and diamond.

"Davina, don't!"

Kol ran to stop her, but she began to chant the spell.

"_Thres matos thres metas utos los phasas. Thres matos thres metas utos los phasas. Thres matos thres metas utos los phasas_."

Parchments began to swirl around the room, the walls looked as if it were spinning. Everything seemed like it was turning. Davina's hair whipped in the wind, but her eyes remained closed as she focused all her power on the two objects resting in her hands.

"**_Thres matos thres metas utos los phasas. Thres matos thres metas utos los phasas. Thres matos thres metas utos los phasas_**."

The room began to spin faster now. The walls became a blur and the parchments began flying all around. The walls threatened to cave in while the flooring began to lift off the ground. Davina screamed louder and louder, but the objects didn't budget.

Kol rushed forward and pulled the objects away from her. She tumbled to the floor as he shoved them into his pocket. The magic ceased and the room settled. Davina looked back at him shocked.

Kol looked down at her and her up at him. She could see the utter disappointment in his eyes at her failure. Tears slowly began to haze her vision. He shook his head.

Kol walked past her and out the door, leaving the lonely witch to weep.

* * *

"Another!" Alaric called to the bartender.

"No, I think you have had enough, mister," Stefan stopped him.

The bar was almost half empty. The low hum of rock ballads played in the back ground. Alaric turned to face Stefan with what looked like a lopsided frown.

"Why does Damon get to drink more?" he slurred.

"Because Damon's an alcoholic," Damon replied.

Alaric faced him pleadingly, but he just winked. Alaric chuckled.

"Its cause you've got a pretty face and pretty blue eyes that you get free drinks."

"No, Alaric. It's cause I'm a vampire and I can use compulsion that I get free drinks. But thanks for the compliment," Damon smirked as he finished the last of his drink.

"No, it's cause you're a pretty boy," Alaric concluded. "Remember when you turned my wife into a vampire?"

The glimmer in Damon's eye faded.

"How about we not talk about that tonight, buddy. It was in the past."

"Yeah, but do you remember?" he pushed. "You turned her into a vampire and then she left me. Like how messed is that? That I'm best friends with the guy who killed my wife and turned her into a vampire."

Stefan looked between Damon and Alaric, before deciding to take a drink than join in on the conversation.

"Yes, but she was a bitch."

"That bitch was my wife."

Damon pressed his lips in a thin line. This was not where he was hoping tonight would go.

"Well, if we're going to get into the nitty-gritty details, technically Klaus killed her."

Alaric paused and thought for a moment before nodding.

"He's an ass."

"Agreed," Damon and Stefan said in union.

They looked at each other and laughed. Stefan looked back at his brother and he motioned his head towards the heavily drunken professor ushering him to ask.

"The important thing is," Damon continued. "Now you have Jo. A beautiful doctor with a nice rack who won't fall for any vampire whims. Amirite?"

Alaric giggled, "My girlfriend's hot."

"Yes, she is and I bet you guys are really close."

Alaric nodded and motioned them to come closer. The two of them leaned forward.

"We have sex," Alaric whispered before bursting out in laughter.

"Good for you, buddy, good for you," Damon patted his back. Stefan rolled his eyes. "But we were thinking more along the lines of being 'personally' closer."

Alaric stared at him sheepishly confused. Damon sighed.

"Do you know where the Ascendant is or not?"

"The what?"

Damon was becoming increasingly impatient. He quickly pulled Alaric's vervain bracelet off and positioned Alaric to look directly into his eyes.

"Damon," Stefan tried to intrude.

"Tell us where the Ascendant is," he compelled.

Alaric's pupils dilated.

"I don't know where the Ascendant is."

The dark-haired Salvatore cursed under his breath. He looked to Stefan who nodded for him to continue. Turning back to Alaric, Damon tried again.

"Then go get the Ascendant and bring it to me," he compelled.

Alaric nodded, "Oka–"

Before he could finish, Alaric slumped in his stool and slammed his head against the table. Damon and Stefan jumped at the sound. Some of the customers looked at them questionably, but the Salvatores just smiled back at them nervously before pulling him up.

"Whoa there, buddy."

They turned him over to check for injuries. Damon laughed to himself.

"The idiot's just passed out."

"Damon, are you crazy?"

"No, but he might be."

"He's never going to forgive you, you know that, right?"

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Damon argued. "I don't suppose you have any bright ideas on how to get the stupid Ascendant-thingy."

They started to get up, lifting Alaric from him seat.

"Whatever, let's just get out of here."

"Yeah, let's get him home before he starts drooling over my leather jacket."

* * *

Waking up, Bonnie once again found herself in a dream, but instead of the dark cold confines of the stone dungeon from before, she found herself outside the Lockwood mansion. She looked around confused. _Why would she be here?_

"Greetings again, Miss Bennett," an ancient voice called to her from behind.

Bonnie sighed and turned to face the witch.

"I told you, I'm not going to do it," she exclaimed.

The old witch smiled peculiarly.

"I know."

Bonnie frowned annoyed.

"Then why am I here?"

Ayana motioned her head towards the woods.

"Come. I have something to show you."

The witch turned and began to walk towards the woods. Helpless with nowhere else to go, Bonnie reluctantly trailed a few paces behind. She followed silently, carefully watching the strange witch's every move. As they ventured deeper into the bush, the trees slowly began to change from skinny pale white bark to thick brown trunks. Before long the cloudy gloom of day was covered by the down cast of the leaves until they finally came to a clearing.

It was a lake.

Mounds of large rocks surrounded the edges, while a mixture of dirt and sand rested on the shores. The clear color of the water quickly diminished as it moved deeper towards the center where it looked like an endless black abyss.

"What is this place?" she asked.

"A hiding place."

"For what?"

Ayana looked at Bonnie from the corner of her eye and smiled mischievously.

"Your only way home."

* * *

He could hear the soft hum from the room across from his. Through the creak of his door he could barely see the wolf rocking her baby to sleep. The child's sleepy eyes blinked slowly with every sway until they were completely closed. Even after Hope was put to sleep, Hayley continued to soothingly hum her song.

Looking away, Elijah returned back to the piles of housing papers that were stacked on the desk. Flipping through them he saw that Klaus' signature was printed on every single one. Some regarding home electricity bills, other for taxes, and another for renting several rooms at a condo.

It seems his brother was already planning ahead without him. He sighed.

Moving from Klaus' desk he peered behind the curtains. Although it was almost midnight, the streets were still flooded with people. Even through the thick glass, he could hear the jazz music playing along the sidewalks and the cheers of tourists.

_So many people._ He thought.

So many people congregated in one place. There were people dressed in colorful feathered boas and ridiculous sunglasses, some taking pictures while others shared drinks. Their loud voices echoed in his ears, their laughter shaking his eardrums. But that wasn't the loudest thing he could hear. It was the pulsating rhythm of their veins. Every pump of blood from their beating hearts riveted through the walls. They were thunderous.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. _**

He quickly moved as far away from the window as he could.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. _**

He began to itch with every pump.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP_**.

He frustratingly ran his hand through his hair.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP_**.

He exited Klaus' study and tried to make his way to his room.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP_**. **_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

He got to the door and tried to turn the knob, but his hands were shaking uncontrollably.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP_**. **_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead as he struggled to open the door.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BU–_**

"Elijah, what's wrong?"

Elijah turned abruptly, swatting away a hand. He looked at her frightened, before realizing who she was. Rebekah looked back at him confused. He slumped against the wall and covered his face as he tried to take deep breaths. Rebekah knelt by his side, rubbing his back.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"It's-it's mother," he managed to spit out. "She-she did something to me, and needless to say, I can't seem to shake it."

Rebekah looked at him concerned. It hurt her to see him so distressed. Taking his right arm, she hoisted him up and ushered him to come follow her.

"How about you stay in my room for now while we wait for, Nik?"

Elijah silently nodded, and they continued to walk towards her room.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside.

"What in the bloody hell?"

Rebekah let Elijah hold unto the wall, while she went to investigate.

Maneuvering through the faintly lit hallway, she came to the opening of the compound. The gate was brutally smashed to the ground and in its place stood a tall black man with a goatee wearing a brown suit with black pants, his arms outstretched.

Rebekah cursed under her breath.

"Klaus. Klaus," he called. "Klaus, I'm home!"

Rebekah quickly ran back to Elijah.  
"We need to get, Klaus. _Now_. Finn's here."

Elijah uneasily pushed himself off the wall.

"I'll protect you."

Rebekah stepped in front of him disapprovingly.

"Are you crazy? You're in no shape to fight!"

"I'm fine," he insisted. "Now you go and call Klaus, and let him know what's going on here."

Elijah pushed past her to the compound. Rebekah followed after. She grasped his arm and pulled him back.

"No! I am not letting you–"

A cry broke through, screaming through the walls. Elijah and Rebekah looked at each other until it registered.

"The baby!"

They dashed out the hall above the compound to see Hayley running out of her room to grab Hope. But across the other hall stood Finn at the top of the staircase. They looked between the baby and Finn.

"At last," Finn exclaimed.

A malicious grin stretched across his face as he lurched forward. Rebekah ran to Hayley while Elijah dashed towards Finn. Before Elijah could attack, Finn contorted his hands into position and began to chant. Elijah instantly fell to the ground grasping his head in pain. Finn laughed maniacally as he inched forward, eyes wide with terrible glee.

"It's been awhile, Elijah. How was Arkansas?"

With the flick of his index finger, Elijah's body was pulled towards him until Finn was towered above him.

He grasped Elijah's collar and said, "So here's the deal, either you hand over the baby or I kill all of you."

Elijah snarled at him. Slowly his eyes moved from Finn's eyes to his neck.

**_BA-BUMP. _**

His eyes twitched at the sound of his heart beat.

**_BA-BUMP. _**

He could see the blood pulsing through his veins.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

They began to turn ravenously red.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

Finn looked at him confused.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BU–_**

Elijah lurched forward, grasping Finn's neck with his teeth. His fangs sinking deeper as he held Finn's body over the rail. Yelping in shock, Finn tried to pry him off. He then pushed himself and Elijah off the rail, crashing to the ground. Elijah briefly let go allowing Finn to scramble away. He grasped his neck and muttered a spell to heal it.

Elijah pulled himself up, still hungry for more. Finn's blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth.

Men and women began to spill into the compound. They moved to stand behind Finn and snarled at the sight of Elijah.

A man stepped forward to Finn.

"What would you like us to do, sir?"

Finn looked down at Elijah with utter hate.

"Kill them."

* * *

He looked up to the sky. The clouds moved aside as if making way for the moon to take its position above. It was getting late, but he didn't stir. After a long day of dealing with the wolves and running errands, Klaus now sat on the edge of the docks overlooking the building lights that lit the city. Its lights shimmered over the rushing water of the river making it look like a sea of lights were swirling downstream.

_So this is what Van Gogh must've seen when he painted Starry Night_, he thought to himself.

The hybrid remained fixated, legs hanging over the edge where the waves lapped against the side in a soothing beat.

Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out the map, the three locations still clearly marked. One at the Fauline mansion, only a few blocks away from the Lafayette Cemetery, the other at Basin Street, where the Simon Bolivar statue stood, and the last one across the Mississippi River in Algiers where Marcel lived.

This was a set-up. Someone had carefully planned this out, the locations were too coincidental to be considered an accident. The twelve witches at the cottage, the twelve wolves sent to kill his daughter, what was next? Twelve humans conveniently getting slaughtered at his prodigy's home.

Klaus knew he had no jurisdiction outside the French Quarter. Beyond the supernatural filled streets of the quarter were sidewalks filled with dozens of human lives. Twelve human lives just waiting to die.

He would have to make sure no one would get harmed. But how could he possibly do that when he has no one to be his eyes and ears?

He thought about asking Marcellus, but his loyalty was questionable. Maybe once Hayley and Jackson married he could move some of their wolves there to scout the area for him. That was_ if_ they got married. The arrangement was still up in the air, especially with Hope home and Finn threatening to take his child. But the wolves were becoming restless with unease. If they didn't marry soon, he feared he'd lose an opportunity to have a pack of wolves protecting his daughter at his disposal.

And there was the matter with Kol. Why did he need a Bennett witch? What could the teenager provide that the other witches could not? He'd have to confront his brother later on the details of his plan to stop the Expression Triangle or face inevitable betrayal.

Taking the map, he began to fold it. He noticed how the ink seeped through the backside so you could clearly see the formation of triangle through the paper.

He paused.

Furrowing his eyebrows together, he opened the map again.

* * *

The room was dark. He remembered that. An old lamp did little to light the map that was nestled on the wooden desk. They were in Professor Shane's office, a ruddy old room full of ancient scrolls and mounds of books. After digging through the creepy professor's books and shelves, he, Stefan, and Caroline came to discover the mad man's master plan: an Expression Triangle.

Stefan had left to try to find Bonnie before the last massacre, but it had been almost an hour since he had left. So during his absence it just left him and Caroline.

Although the room was poorly lit, he couldn't help but admire the way the lamp light shined through her effortlessly blonde locks. Her hands lay flat on the map below her where she held onto a black sharpie marker and a metal ruler. He rested his hands on the map as well, only inches away from hers.

"There's been two massacres," she stated. "Pastor Young's farm is here and the Lockwood cellar, where you spitefully slaughtered twelve of your own hybrids, is here."

He chuckled to himself. Using the marker she connected the two locations with a straight line. She looked back up at him, his eyes remained transfixed on the map.

"According to the book, the Expression Triangle is equilateral," she began to measure out the lines before making a mark. "Putting it here."

A perfectly drawn triangle now sat in the middle of Virginia. Caroline looked down at her work proudly.

"Somebody's been skipping their geometry classes," he teased.

Caroline looked at him confused. She frowned when he took the ruler and marker from her. As he leaned down to the desk to draw on the map, Caroline did the same, watching curiously. He looked up at her as he spoke.

"There are actually two places the third massacre could be."

He drew two more lines in the opposite direction forming another triangle with equal measurements to hers. He pushed the ruler and marker aside. Caroline smiled to herself.

"Well, you didn't let me finish," she countered with a sly grin.

She looked back up at Klaus until their eyes met. He went to say something but stopped himself. Instead his eyes lingered with hers, a smile tugging at his lips. Caroline eyes briefly looked down shyly, but were lured back to his with a small smile on her lips.

The door opened.

Caroline quickly swiveled from her spot to see Stefan.

"Hey. What's going on?" she said quickly. "Did you find Bonnie?"

Klaus got up from his position, slightly upset the moment was ruined.

Stefan walked in.

"No, but I talked to her dad," Stefan replied hesitantly. He paused. "I think I found Silas."

* * *

Klaus glanced down at the last location on the map.

**_There are actually two places where the third massacre could be…_**

He traced his eyes along the map. Taking a pin he folded the map once more and pricked a pin through the last mark on the map and pushed it through the other side. Pulling the pin out, he opened the map again. He cursed.

_Idiot._

Klaus shoved the map back into his jacket and got up. _How could be forget?_ He jumped into his car and began to drive away from the docks as quickly as he could. He had to tell his siblings before it was too late. He had to warn them because that pin punched a hole right through the French Quarter where his house stood.

* * *

**And there you have it. The end of chapter 12. I know it's been awhile, but I really hope reading it wasn't all that terrible. I just got to get back into the groove of writing long chapters again and maybe work on expanding my vocabulary (it's becoming increasingly difficult to find more words for "looked"). So what'd you guys think? Let me know, it really helps to get feedback. I know this chapter was kind of long and there was a lot stuff thrown into this one, but I had to introduce a lot things that will set up the plot for the rest of the story. So if you find anything confusing, just know everything will make sense in the end... I hope... *cross fingers* **

**As you guys saw, I included a Klaroline moment! It's something I aim to do in every chapter at this point because it's hard to write one without at least one Klaroline encounter. IT'S THE ONLY THING KEEPING ME ALIVE HERE GUYS. But this scene, like many others, is one of my favorites. I just really loved the amount of angst and tension that always seemed to be going on between these two. The eye sex is almost too unbearable. I mean, every time I watch this episode, I just melt at the way Klaus looks at her like she's the sun, like she's the most amazing thing he's ever seen *sobs* Why can't we have nice things! (F**k you, Julie Plec). But anyways, expect more Klaroline scenes to come. I use them at any given opportunity, especially if it helps them solve problems *cough*cough the map *cough***

**Sorry for no, Kalijah in this one. It's hard to fit a lot of ships in the story without making the whole story about love because it's not. Is you're reading this for just the lovey-dovey stuff, you're reading the wrong fanfic, dude. I wouldn't expect anything too romantic until waaaaaaaaaaaay later. I'll make more ships happen once I've developed these characters into the way I want them to be. You'll see, guys, it'll be worth it. Trust me. **

* * *

**Anyways, enough about the story. Time for...**

**MICHELLE'S SUPER AWESOME REVIEW/RANT OF TVD S6 &amp; TO S2**

**Ok, I must warn you. There will be a lot of spoilers. So just in case...**

**SPOILER ALERT!**

**Alright, let's start with TO first (because I've got more to say about TVD anyways)**

**So The Originals season two. *sigh* What can I say? I think it had a lot of potential going off the season one finale in my opinion. I really thought they could prolong their issues with the Asian chick's family of wolves a little longer. That's right guys. Her appearance was so short that I don't even remember her name. I really it was cool how they were able to beat Klaus at his own game, like that was awesome. But their victory was short lived (although I did enjoy watching Elijah walk into her house and kill all her wolves. That was cool as f**k). **

**Next, the whole concept of Esther turning all her children into witches. Not exactly my cup of tea. I think what bothered me the most about that concept was that Kol, Finn, Esther, and Rebekah were thrown into different bodies. I really like the original actors that played for them in season three. I thought they portrayed them perfectly. PERFECTLY. And because of that mindset, I strongly believe that no one else can play those characters except them. It's basically like replacing Joseph Morgan with Ian Somerhalder to play Klaus. Like do you even know how terrible that would be. F**KING TERRIBLE. Plus, I liked the idea of Esther and Mikael trying to get rid of the monstrosities they created. **

**Elijah and the Red Door. Okay, so I admit, I actually kind of like this idea. Under Elijah's pristine and elegant composure, he's actually a raging monster on the inside. He's basically like the first Ripper. Like how cool is that! Plus, I have a strange thrill when writing about blood. But I really wish they would've spent more time talking about his and Klaus' relationship with Tatia. I thought it was just as vague as it was when they talked about in the Vampire Diaries... like I wish they would've shed more light on_ why _ Klaus and Elijah fell for her in the first place. I just really think, they could've juiced more out of that story line. **

**Dahila and Freya. So this was the whole story line they were leading up to, right? And because of that I expected a lot from it. I was so disappointed. I don't know. Like I thought the idea was pretty cool that there was an aunt who was out to take Hope and the Original families long lost sister, Freya. I just wish they had done more. I think there could've been a lot of cool things the most powerful witches could've done. **

**But despite all the terrible things that happened this season, there were a redeeming factor. One of them being the season finale. It was definitely a breath of fresh air to see the old TVD Klaus come out to play. As we all remember, Klaus back in TVD was the master at making plans and that's exactly what he did in the last two episodes. It was genius. Absolutely GENIUS. Killing Gia and forcing Rebekah to kill herself to return to her vampire body was just YAS. Now that's the Klaus I remember. I just wish they could've left Rebekah being played by Claire Holt.. like please guys, she's an amazing actress.**

**Lastly, I don't know about you guys, but I definitely puked when they said that Klaus fancied Cami *starts vomiting profusely* I just love how they used the word "fancies" because that totally doesn't sound like how Klaus said he FANCIED Caroline. Not at all. At least with Klaroline, Klaus told Caroline himself that he liked her. With Cami, she had to hear it through Rebekah. I still doubt its true. It's just the writers way of trying to shove Klamille down our throats like Steroline. Or when they made Klaus and Camille dance. That was just weird and awkward and yeah...But whatever. They won't last. Literally only a handful people support that ship wreck anyways. So I just laugh whenever I see copied Klaroline moments.**

**So what do I think? Should you take the time to watch it or not? I mean, all-in-all, I think the season was alright. Not as amazing as TVD in the past, but bearable. Certainly better than TVD S6. I think the show has it moments, but I wouldn't say it's amazing. The only reason I watch, is to see where these poor characters will go. Watch it, sure. Will you enjoy it? Probably not. **

**Alright, now TVD. Prepare. This will be a doozy. **

**Alright. Alright. Here we go. Here we go. **

**So season six of the Vampire Diaries was just terrible. There's no other way to describe it. It was just terrible. This season was just such a mess. The beginning of the season was completely alien to the other TVD seasons. It seemed like some messed up version of a college drama with a twist of supernatural characters. It was completely cheesy in every way. This is an example of why I refuse to make this fanfic ONLY about love. I believe love goes deeper than one chasing the other, or developing feelings, or whatever. It takes more than that to find love. **

**With that said, I hated Steroline (if I haven't already made that obvious). It was so cringe-worthy. Every scene with them together just made me want to gauge my eyes out (like even more so when watching Klamille). Watching them have sex and kiss just made me want to barf. It was unbearable. The writers tried to convince us that they've been building up Steroline since season two, which makes no sense because I'm pretty sure Stefan was in love and faithful to Elena at the time and Caroline was with Tyler. I admit, they were great friends and I totally supported that. But building a relationship off a friendship is such a cliche... I also hated that Stefan was the reason Caroline wasn't spending more time with her mother and the reason why she switched her humanity off. Like that was just horrible. I basically laughed my ass off at the finale when they copied a Klaroline scene saying that Stefan would wait for Caroline until she was ready. HELLO. Klaus is already first on the list, idiot. At least when Klaus said it, it was said more eloquently and beautifully. **

**I think there could've been more done with Damon and Elena's relationship. I must admit, I used to be a hardcore Delena fan. But since season, I've degraded to nothing more than a casual fan. I'm almost just as indifferent about them as I am about Stelena. I truly believe that season 1-3 was for Stelena and season 4-6 was for Delena. So I really wish they had done more Delena just as they did for Stelena. I think they would've prolonged Elena's memories being erased a little longer and should've played with the idea of "Damon and Elena making new memories". It would've been bittersweet. I think Elena ran back to him too soon too. And then towards the end with the whole thing with the cure was just wrong. I definitely thought Elena should take the cure because she's better as a human anyways. But Damon and the cure, no. Did they learn nothing from Katherine's experience? 500 years caught up to her in the course of 3 months. So wouldn't 145 years catch up to Damon as well? *sigh* The writers forget so much canon... like do they even watch the show? But with that said, I really did enjoy their last scene together. That dance was beautiful. In my mind, I hoping they'd use a flashback like they did with the others and use the scene when they first danced together. I thought that would've been more cuter. **

**The Gemini Coven. I feel like that was probably the main storyline for thus season. I'm not completely sure? I felt like they talked about a lot towards the beginning of the season, but then they just stopped for awhile and didn't talk about it for a good portion of season 6, but then brought it all back for the finale. It was almost pointless. **

**But speaking of pointless. The most pointless things this season was Enzo (I didn't like him in season 5, and I don't like him now. ALARIC IS DAMON'S BEST FRIEND SO F**K OFF, ENZO), Sarah Salvatore (that was probably the most boring story line this season and nothing was learned from the whole experience...), and Liv and Tyler's relationship (I honestly can't picture Tyler with anyone else, but Caroline even though I believe she belongs with Klaus. I though Forwood's relationship was innocent and sweet). I also thought Jo and Alaric's relationship was.. meh.. I just feel sorry for the guy. Every girl he falls for dies. How upsetting is that.. But I mean, Alaric and Jenna forever, amirite?**

**But despite such a terrible season, there were some redeeming factors. For one thing, Bonnie's character. She's become my favorite character. I used to love Caroline's character (I still do, but it questionable after this season), but Bonnie is my new favorite. I really love how she's turned out. She's grown into a strong woman who doesn't take sh*t from anyone anymore. It's very inspirational for women, and I love how she makes a stand for being independent. **

**I also loved the Damon and Stefan reunion. That was probably the first time I cried this season. I am such a Defan shipper. I really love the idea that brotherly/family love transcends far past love for another. Maybe that's why I love the Original family so much? I just believe that the Vampire Diaries was always going to be about Damon and Stefan, Stelena or Delena. So in the back of my mind, I knew Elena wouldn't last. The Love triangle couldn't last forever (even if they're vampires)**

**I also liked Liz's death. I know that sounds kind of weird, but I really think that had to happen to push Caroline to grow up and face reality. I think her death will be probably the biggest push for Caroline to find her greatness because just as Liz said to Damon, Caroline was made to do extraordinary things. And it was so nice to see that someone besides Klaus saw Caroline's potential. I just wish they would've focused more on Liz and Caroline's relationship more because Liz was really her humanity. **

**But the biggest redeeming factor for season 6 was Elena's good-byes. I am not really an Elena fan, but I will be honest, I cried so much. SOOO MUCH. I loved it. I really think it wrapped up everything Elena was these past few years. Everything she said to each of them was sweet and heartfelt. Definitely an Elena thing to do and I loved it. This season she's been very ooc, but for that episode, she was the Elena from the old TVD and I loved it. I really did. But my favorite good-byes were with Matt, Stefan, and Bonnie. I loved how she pushed Matt to keep protecting people like them. I loved how she thanked Stefan for basically saving her life by being apart of it. I thought that was a beautiful way to end Stelena. But hands down, my favorite good-bye was with Caroline and Bonnie, but more specifically Bonnie. Yup. I cried so much. Personally, I think her good-bye should've been last because hers was the best. I just about died when Elena said, "You've always made sacrifices for me, now it's my turn to make sacrifices for you." Like that's so true. Bonnie's made so many sacrifices for her friends, she's always been so selfless, always putting herself last. But now, for once, someone was doing the same for her. It was bittersweet. And it didn't help that I basically bawled my eyes out when Elena pulled out the feathered pillow and Bonnie did her magic *sobs uncontrollably*I could not. I really COULD NOT.**

**So season six, terrible. But the finale made up for it. It really did. **

* * *

**Well, that's it. I'm done ranting. I'll update in a week, I SWEAR. Let me know what you guys thought of this season for TVD and/or TO, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Until next time. **

**READ. REVIEW. SHARE.**

Chapter Question: What do you think Ayana wants Bonnie to do in return for her freedom?

**Follow me for updates on tumblr and twitter klarophant**


	13. Chapter 13 Good Things

**HEY KLAROPHANTS!**

**As promised, I'm back with an update! Woohoo! I'm kind of surprised too, considering I was really busy this week with a bunch of exams and reports due. And what's even more astonishing is that this happens to be the longest chapter I've ever written! It's literally 2,000 more words than my last chapter. So anyways, I'll try to make this short, but this chapter reintroduces a lot of storylines I left behind when I was only writing about Caroline's experience, so this chapter kind of refreshes your mind on what's going on with them. I also introduce some characters from the shows that I haven't touched on yet, so expect to see how their stories tie in with the main ones. **

**Lastly, I'd like to thank lovelybellarke from twitter for creating a beautiful cover photo for my fanfic! I absolutely adore it!**

**Anyways, I'm done rambling. **

**Have at it!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters. **

* * *

**Chapter 13: Good Things**

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. _**

The slow tempo of heartbeats all drumming at once. It was alluring, addicting, _hypnotic_. It was as if he were at a symphony, each pulse beating at once. He could barely hear over the resounding beats. Pushing himself up, his bones easily snapped back into place, blood dripping from his mouth. He could still taste the richness of Finn's blood on his tongue.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. _**

Finn clung to his neck staring horrified at his brother, blood still oozing from his wound. He shivered as he watched Elijah lick the corners of his bloodied mouth, his eyes transfixed on him.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. _**

Although his pack stood closely behind him, he still felt fear for the ravenous beast that stood before him. It was frightening.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

One of his men walked towards him cautiously.

"What would you like us to do, sir?"

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

Without turning to him he said, "Kill them."

_Silence. _

For that split second it was silent. All he could hear was the sweet sound of quietness. Looking at the men and women before him, he could see how hesitant they were to attack him. The looks of doubt painted all over their faces. It wasn't just blood he could smell. It was_ fear_.

Elijah grinned.

He lunged forward.

One after another, they charged at him and one by one he took them down. They'd team up to hold him back, but he'd easily overcome them biting into their flesh every chance he got whilst the beating drum continued to play.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

One tried to hold him in a headlock while another punched his abdomen. He spit out blood with every blow. Angrily he dislocated the wolf's arms, freeing himself from his grip. He leapt forward grasping the other wolf's neck, sinking his teeth into her soft skin. Others tried to pull him away, but he refused to let go, not until she dry. Taking the body, he viciously threw it at them. They staggered back.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

More rushed forward, growling with rage. They each grabbed his arms, pulling at his ligaments while one punched him in the face relentlessly, blood spattered from the original's mouth. His lip split with every hit. But he broke free and decapitated him with a swift slash of his arm. He kicked at the others, ramming his heel against them as they stumbled to the ground.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

Taking another's head, he smashed it against the hard edge of the fountain ruthlessly until their skull had shattered. He threw the limp body across the room, until the end of a chair penetrated his side, its end sticking out of his stomach.

He felt nothing. No pain. No exhaustion. Just hunger. An insatiable hunger.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

Pulling the chair leg from his side, he turned to his attacker and began to mercilessly bat him. Splinters flew from its end as he continued to hit him long after he was dead. Dropping the leg, he turned to face the others. None dared to step forward.

Elijah's eyes turned to Finn.

**_BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP._**

Elijah wiped the blood from his chin as he strode towards him, stepping over the mounds of bodies and puddles of blood. But just as he was only a foot away, a wolf grabbed his leg and bit him.

The affect was almost instantaneous. A surge of pain shot through Elijah's leg and he toppled to the ground. More wolves came. Elijah tried to bat them away, but they only inched forward. They dug their jaws into any available spot, injecting their venomous bite.

He wailed, propelling them away.

**_BA-BUMP... BA-BUMP... BA-BUMP... BA-BUMP…_**

Slowly his vision began to blur. Red spots filling his view. Whether it was blood or just his delirium he knew not.

Finn marched up to him, his feet only inches away from his face. He laughed to himself. Kneeling down, he lifted Elijah's chin and looked down at him.

"Don't black out yet, brother. You're going to want to see this."

The wolves yanked Hayley and Rebekah down from the staircase. They tried to wrench Hope from her mother's arms, but Hayley refused to let go.

"Go to hell!" Hayley screamed at them as they tried to pry her from her arms.

Rebekah thrashed, trying to break free from their clutches.

"Let go of me you damn mongrels!"

Elijah looked up at him hopelessly, "Please… Finn… le… let them go…"

"After your little stunt today?" Finn shook his head, "I don't think so."

Dropping his head to the ground, Finn stood back up.

"But first."

Focusing his magic on Elijah, he forced the venom within him to boil. Elijah yelped, clenching his fists.

"Stop it, Fin, stop!" Rebekah screamed.

"Don't touch him!" Hayley joined.

Finn flicked his finger making Elijah's body flip up, snapping his spine.

"NO! Let go of me!" Rebekah squirmed, "Stop hurting him, please!"

Elijah's body sagged back onto the stone floor motionless. Breaking the end of table, Finn inched towards him, ready to stab him through the chest. An evil glee in his eyes.

"NOOOO!"

Rebekah finally broke free and ran towards Elijah, shoving Finn aside. She fell to her knees and cradled Elijah's head in her lap.

Finn growled, "Who the hell are yo–"

"Stay away!" she shrieked.

A gust of wind rushed from her extended arm slamming Finn against the wall. He looked at the woman in shock.

_Who was this girl?_

Getting up he rushed back forward, ramming his magic against her. Her body was thrown into the blood filled fountain. A trickle of blood dribbled down her forehead.

Finn walked past Elijah's mangled body and studied the woman he had just attacked. She stirred.

"Don't move," he warned. "Try to attack me again, and I will kill you. Now tell me, who are _you_?"

Rebekah's eyes flicked open. What was originally deep brown eyes were replaced with cloudy white spheres. Finn took one step back.

"**_Did I not tell you, to stay away_**," a deep ancient voice slurred from her lips.

"What."

Rebekah pulled herself out of the fountain, a mixture of blood and water dripping from her clothes.

"**_Your efforts are feeble, Finn. I guess that's to be expected from someone who wasn't trained in magic by me_**," she treaded towards him.

Finn lifted his arm, ready to chant his spell, but with the clench of her hand, he felt his connection with magic cease. He looked at her in shock.

"**_If you think you can beat me_**," she said. "**_You are foolishly mistaken_**."

With the raise of her arms, the room was enveloped with a blinding white light. Finn covered his eyes and the chaos began.

* * *

Hope's cries echoed through the compound just as Klaus flashed into the entryway to be greeted by the mess. Furniture was flipped over, scattered bodies littered the floor, and blood stained the walls while Hope's cries continued to fill the air.

He ran to Hayley who sat against the wooden pillar, trembling as she clung to Hope. He knelt to her side.

"What happened here?"

It took a moment for her to respond. Her wide eyes still fixed across the room.

"It… it was… Finn…" she struggled to find her words. Klaus gently rubbed her shoulder. "Finn attacked us and…" she nodded across the room. Klaus turned his gaze to see Elijah's crippled body lying face down on the stone floor.

Ushering Hayley up, he left her side to aid his brother while she calmed Hope. Stepping across the bloodied crevices, he approached Elijah's body and rested his head against his chest. Klaus studied his injuries. There were several bite marks surrounding his arms and a nasty one on his leg. The cuts were sickly yellow and oozed a clear substance. His blouse was torn and his pants ripped to shreds. Blood covered almost every inch of him.

Rolling down his sleeve, as he did many times before, Klaus bit into his wrist and pressed it against Elijah's lips.

Slowly, Elijah regained consciousness and once he had regained his strength he pushed Klaus' arm away. He bowed to his brother in gratitude before walking away. His eyes lingered to Hayley's. She looked at him sadly. He turned away ashamed.

He had recklessly killed again. It was getting worse.

Elijah shook his head.

Rebekah struggled to get up. She pushed her back against the fountain. Klaus moved towards her. Looking for any injuries just as he did with his brother, he found there were only a few cuts and bruises, but when Klaus moved closer to check the gash on her forehead she flinched away.

"Don't come near me!" she squealed.

"Don't be ridiculous, Rebekah, there is a cut on your head."

He tried again, but she shied away.

"Don't touch me, Nik!"

Klaus looked at her alarmed.

"What's wrong?"

He studied her expression. She pressed her lips together and shook her head. She covered her face with her hands and wept.

Getting down on his knees, he pulled her into an embrace. Her tears began to seep into his shoulder as she sobbed. He held her tightly while her fingers gripped his jacket. He stroked her back softly while she cried.

"Nik, I don't know what to do!" She burrowed her face into his chest, "Just make it stop, Nik, please make it stop!"

"Make what stop? What's wrong, Rebekah? What happened?"

She shook her head. She pulled away and looked at Klaus. Her tear-stricken face was deathly pale as trickles of blood oozed from her eyes. She stared back at him terrified.

"Nik…" she whispered. "I don't know what's wrong with me?"

Rebekah's eyes rolled back, her body falling limply in his arms. Holding onto her drooping body, he grabbed her legs and lifted her up in his arms. He walked back to Hayley and Elijah who inched away alarmed. He looked at them frustratingly.

"Someone tell me what happened," he demanded angrily. "Now."

Elijah and Hayley exchanged looks, but they didn't answer.

"I believe I can be of some help."

Kol emerged from behind the dining room door. He walked slowly, eyeing Rebekah's motionless body cautiously. Klaus stared at him impatiently.

"Well?" he pushed.

"You might want to put her down," Kol motioned to their sister. "You're going to want to sit down for this."

* * *

Bonnie sat at the dining room table with a cluster of books. Old head phones wrapped around her head while Sugar Ray's "Every Morning" played on repeat. Shuffling through several maps and old books, she marked spots on the map with a black sharpie and a yellow high lighter.

Kai entered the room.

"Morning Bonbon," he greeted.

When he didn't get a response he frowned.

She was too engrossed in her work to even notice him. Moving behind her, he leaned over her and rested his hand on top of the map she was writing on and tugged her headphones off.

"Hey!" Bonnie swatted at him, she reached to get them back.

"I said 'Good morning, Bonbon,'" he grinned, mumbling in her ear.

She immediately elbowed him in the gut making him drop the headphones and back away grasping his stomach.

"Good morning to you too…" he grumbled.

"Get away from me, I'm busy."

Bonnie went to grab the head phones and put them back on, but Kai rested his hand firmly on them. She looked up to him and frowned.

"Real mature, Kai."

"Bonnie, I'm bored."

"Yeah, well, that sucks."

He took a seat on the dining room table and pushed aside her opened books.

"Hey!"

"Entertain me," he pleaded.

"That sounds a lot like a personal problem," she said as she heaved a notebook from under him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm working right now."

Kai quickly latched onto the notebook with both hands. Bonnie scowled at him and held onto it tightly. She tugged it towards her, but Kai refused to let go. He pulled at it again.

"Kai. Stop."

Bonnie pulled back.

"How about, no."

He pulled again.

They began to pull back and forth like five-year-olds fighting over a toy.

"It's mine, Kai! Let it go!"

"But I wanna see!"

"Well, too–" Bonnie yanked the notebook viciously, almost freeing it from his grasp, but his body followed. Kai tumbled across the table, his face inches away from hers, "…bad."

It didn't take long before Kai broke out into a grin. He pretended to lean forward for a kiss before Bonnie pushed him off the table. He stumbled to the floor laughing to himself. She rammed the chair into him, but he continued to laugh.

"Did see the look on your face!"

Taking books, she started to throw them at him, but he easily dodged them, his smile only growing wider.

"You pervert!"

He laughed and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt.

"Can you blame me?" he chirped. "I've been stuck alone in this prison world for almost two decades."

She looked at him frightened, his grip tightening around her wrist. He looked down at her, a devilish grin on his face. She tried to break free, but Kai held her back. He moved closer towards her, so she could feel his breath on her face. Using his other hand, he easily plucked the notebook from her hands. He let go.

Just as he went to open it, Bonnie dove forward to snatch it from him, but he blocked her with his body.

"Kai–"

"Just let me look."

He skimmed through the pages and looked back at the map. Setting the book down, he turned back to Bonnie who stood nervously to the side. His expression was undiscernible. Kai approached her, towering over until he stood only inches away. She flinched.

"Bonnie," he said.

She looked up at him as bravely as she could. _This was it._

"What, Kai," she spat.

"Why didn't you tell me you wanted to go swimming!" he burst out.

_What._

"I know exactly where this place is," he pointed at the map. "I used to go there all the time."

She looked at the psycho-maniac confused.

"So what do you say," he beamed. "You want to go today?"

She looked at the page the notebook was open to and the map that lay over the table. _How could he get that idea from– _She stopped herself.

Bonnie forced a smile and replied, "That would be great."

Kai beamed back at her before leaving the room to get his swimming trunks and some of the Salvatore's expensive towels. She watched him leave the room. When he was out of sight, she quickly began to stack the books away and fold up the map. She stuffed them under the seat cushions of the couch she always slept on, and put the notebook and map in her bag.

The important thing was, he didn't know she was trying to escape.

* * *

Caroline held the door open as her mom trudged outside. Instead of her usual sheriff uniform, she was dressed in light denim jeans, a white shirt and a cardigan. She smiled appreciatively at her daughter as she let the door close behind them.

_Another session done_, Caroline thought ushering Liz to the exit.

It was only her second time going to the hospital with her mom since Liz told her about her tumor, but she seemed to be getting better or at least, she pretended she was. So as they left the entry way of the hospital and waved good-bye to the nurses, Caroline and Liz stood outside the hospital steps.

Liz turned to her and smiled.

"Thanks for coming again, sweetie. I know sitting with your mom while she gets injected with medicine for an hour isn't exactly how any teenager wants to spend their afternoon."

"It's okay, mom," she replied. "I know it must be hard for you to go through all that alone."

They began to walk down the steps together, Caroline holding onto her arm so she wouldn't fall.

"I called the doctors back at Mystic Falls to transfer all my medical files here last week. They said the transfer should be complete by tomorrow," she went on.

"You don't have to do that," Caroline stopped in place. "I mean, you've been going to that hospital since I were a kid, since _you_ were a kid."

"That old place," Liz waved her hand. "It's fine. That place hasn't been renovated in years, Caroline, and besides, it's just another hospital."

"But mom…"

Liz clasped her hands around hers.

"I just want to make sure that the last moments I have alive, whenever they are, are with you," she explained. "Okay, hon?"

Caroline looked at her sadly, but nodded.

They continued to walk down the stairs until they stood waiting on the sidewalk.

"So what time should I come over to the dorms, six?" Liz asked as a black and white car pulled up to the curb.

"Six, sounds great," Caroline agreed opening the passenger door. "I'll have sandwiches ready for us when you get there."

Liz smiled to her colleague who sat in the driver's seat before stepping inside.

"Did you want me to bring _Friends_ or _How I Met Your Mother_?" she asked as she buckled her seat belt.

"We've already seen _Friends_ three times," Caroline laughed.

"Hey, without _Friends_ there wouldn't have been a _How I Met Your Mother_," Liz joked. Caroline closed the passenger door, "But I'll bring them both anyways. Bye, honey. See you soon!"

"Bye, mom," Caroline waved just as the police car pulled away from the parking lot.

Watching the car disappear, she stood alone on the sidewalk. She began to walk towards the direction where she parked her car. Rummaging through her bag she pulled out pages of research and her car keys. Jumping into the driver's seat, she set them on the passenger seat beside her while she typed an address into Google Maps.

Destination: Duke University.

* * *

Klaus patted a wet toilette over his sister's eyes, wiping away the streaks of blood that had stained her face. Pulling the covers over her, he wrapped them around her shoulders while she slept. Hovering his palm on her forehead, he could feel the heat emitting off her body. He sighed.

_What was wrong with his little sister? _

No doubt some form of witchcraft. Maybe it was a hex. Or the side-effects of being stuck in house full of witches for several weeks. Whatever it was, it was killing his sister and he couldn't allow that.

Hayley lightly knocked on the open door.

"They're waiting for you downstairs," she said. "And Hope's asleep. I think we should go talk with them."

He nodded.

Reluctantly leaving his sister's side, he joined Elijah, Kol, and Hayley in the dining room.

"So what happened," Klaus scowled. "I leave to run some daily errands and I come back to my house in ruins, my compound flooded with werewolf blood, my child almost taken from me, and my little sister dying."

The three of them stood in silence.

"I suggest you speak fast because my patience is quickly diminishing."

They hesitantly looked amongst each other before Hayley spoke first.

"I was putting Hope to sleep last night when I heard the gates crash," Hayley started.

"And I was with Rebekah upstairs when we too heard the commotion," Elijah added. "It was Finn."

They all turned to Kol.

"And where were you in all of this?" Klaus questioned suspiciously.

"Don't give me that look, Nik," Kol frowned. "I was in the dining room having a drink."

"And you didn't think to help us when Finn attacked?" Hayley exclaimed.

"What'd you want me to do? Fight him? It was simple math, Finn's a stronger witch and I'm weaker, me against him would be my death!" Kol defended.

"Not only are you a traitor, but a coward too," Elijah spat.

"Careful, mate, wouldn't want another rerun of last night, now would we?" Kol pressed. "How many wolves did you kill this time, Elijah? A couple dozen or so?"

Elijah scowled.

"Stop," Klaus scolded them. "Save your fighting for our enemies. We have no time to waste bickering, our sister is dying upstairs! Now what else happened?"

"Wolves," Elijah continued. "His pack of mongrels came barging in to defend him, and like the _weakling_ Finn is, he made them do his dirty work."

"And then Elijah spitefully slaughtered them all," Kol added. Elijah flashed him another glare.

"Brother, you must understand I only wished to shorten the fight and kill the enemy who's been harassing us for months now!" He snarled at Kol, "That's more than I can say for you."

"Elijah got bit," Hayley cut in before they could fight. "And Finn had his remaining wolves grab Hope, Rebekah, and I. Before he was going to kill us, he was hurting Elijah. But then Rebekah broke free."

"And?"

They grew silent. Klaus impatiently tapped his fingers on the table.

"It was like a power I have never seen before," Kol spoke. "One moment she was poor, defenseless Rebekah and then suddenly it was like she had all the power in the world. And this wasn't the first time I had witnessed this amount of power from her before either."

They all glanced at him questionably while Klaus listened intently.

"The same thing occurred when I had Rebekah and the Salvatores held captive. A flash of light and suddenly the room was spinning like a pressure was pushing against me," he went on. "How else do you think they escaped?"

"Wait," Hayley broke in. "You mean Damon and Stefan Salvatore were here? When?"

"Nothing of matter," Klaus replied.

"But that's beside the point," Kol interjected. "Whatever happened out there. Whatever's going on with Rebekah, it's a power I've never seen before."

Klaus turned to Elijah and Hayley who nodded in agreement.

"This can't be of Esther or Finn's work," Elijah inquired. "He fled just as the chaos began."

"And I doubt the witches in the French Quarter have anything to do with this either."

"So what are you saying? That our sister has unlimited power? That she's being possessed by some all-powerful being?" Klaus asked.

"I don't know what to say," Kol shrugged. "But I think our enemy is a lot closer than we think."

* * *

They had been trudging through the woods for half an hour. The lake turned out to be a lot farther from the Lockwood estate than she remembered in her dream. When they finally arrived at their destination, the trees parted to reveal a glassy blue lake in the center. The water so clear that you could see everything below. It was quite the sight.

Kai tossed his bag on a patch of grass and began to strip. He threw his shirt at Bonnie who swatted it away.

"What are you doing?" she exclaimed, throwing the shirt back at him.

"Giving you a show," he winked before hurling his pants at her to reveal his navy blue swimming trunks.

"Well, I'm not your laundry bag, so keep your clothes somewhere else," she chucked them back.

After setting her stuff down, she overlooked the lake.

The center was where the water was darkest, just as she had remembered. Although it was light out, the sight was still frightening. The thought of getting sucked into the dark hole haunted her mind. But she had to check it out. Especially if it was her only way out of this retro-hell.

She looked to her side to see Kai grinning back at her.

"What?" she asked annoyed.

He motioned to her clothes.

Her eyes grew wide.

"Are you waiting for me to change in front of you!?" she yelled.

"Your words, not mine."

"Nice try, but I'm not swimming. Not with you at least," she muttered.

"What," he ran towards her. "But you have to. That's why we came here today."

"_'Your words, not mine_.' I'm just here to," she thought for a moment. "Admire."

"Me or the view?" he teased.

She rolled her eyes unamused.

"The view, you idiot," she pushed him aside, her hands accidently brushing his skin. She quickly pulled her hands away embarrassed, all the while Kai's smirk only growing.

"Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Excuse me?"

"My skin, I mean. I can give you a hug if you'd like."

He extended arms, stretching his torso that revealed his nicely toned body. Bonnie backed away.

"No, get away from me."

"Oh well," he shrugged. "Your loss."

Turning from her, he walked towards the shore and waded into the water. Bonnie set out a wool blanket under a tree and pulled out her notebook and map, and began to write. She had to plan.

* * *

Matt got shoved back and fell to the ground. Nate, his sparring partner, walked towards him with a grin on his face.

"Come on, Donavan! Kick his ass!" his teammates encouraged on the sidelines.

Nate got into position beckoning him to go after him again.

"Yeah, come on, Donavan," he provoked. "Is that all you've got?"

Pulling himself back up, Matt went back into position. He swung at him, barely missing his face. Nate laughed. Matt went to go again, this time with a three-punch combo, but still missed. The guy was quick, he'd give him that, but his hits weren't strong enough.

This time Nate swung first, Matt dodged only to be met with Nate's other arm hitting his chin.

"Get him, Donavan!"

Matt backed away slightly, shaking his head, but maintained his position.

Nate swung again, missing him, but kicked Matt to the ground. Just as he was going to kick him again, Matt kicked him in the chest making him sprawl backwards, just enough time for Matt to get back up. Before Nate could recover he swung nailing him on the right cheek. He swung again with a left upper-cut making Nate stumble back. Nate tried to retaliate by going in for another swing, but as he lunged forward, Matt kicked him swiftly in the chest.

The crowd cheered.

As Matt hovered over him, Nate grumbled in defeat. Matt offered his hand.

"Hey, good fight, man," he said as he pulled him up. "You get a little cocky when you think you're winning and forget to keep your guard up while attacking."

Nate nodded.

The rest of the squad patted him on the back.

"Way to go, Donavan, thought you almost lost it there!"

"Yeah right, as if Nate could beat, Matt!"

"I know, that last move was killer!"

Matt smiled in appreciation.

Another member walked towards the group.

"Donavan."

He looked up.

"Steven wants to speak with you."

Nodding, Matt waved good-bye to his comrades before following the messenger while the rest of them sparred. They entered the brick warehouse and into a separate room where Steven sat.

"Donavan," Steven greeted. He nodded towards the messenger to leave, the door closing behind him. "Have a seat," he offered.

"Sir."

Matt took a seat once more on the velvet couch next to Steven's leather recliner.

"Do you know why I have you called you?" he asked simply.

Matt looked at him nervously, and shook his head.

"No, sir."

"I've been observing you at practice, Donavan," he stated. "You're getting sloppy."

It was true. Ever since he went on that mission to capture the "deranged vampire" in the woods, he had gotten progressively worse. The moment he realized he had hurt one of his friends, he couldn't bring himself to forgive what he had done. He had hurt Caroline unintentionally. If Stefan hadn't been there to stop them, they would've caught her and she would've been subject to torture and abuse, and there wouldn't have been anything he could've done to stop them.

"Sorry, sir. I'll try my best."

"So tell me what happened, son," Steven leaned forward. "What's going on? Did you get injured on the mission? Or…"

"It's just," he paused, thinking of an excuse. "I have never seen a vampire up close before."

_Lies._ He dated a vampire. Two vampires actually. He even had sex with a vampire for a while summer. But he needed a reason for his lack of performance in the field lately.

Steven nodded his head understandingly.

"They're frightening, I know. But once you learn to hone your skills and learn to exploit their weaknesses to your advantage," he said. "You'll never be afraid of them again."

Steven got up from his seat and poured himself a drink before taking a sip. Matt watched him cautiously.

"But that's not the only reason why I called you in today."

"It's not?"

He shook his head. He turned to face Matt again.

"Remember what we talked about?"

Matt nodded hesitantly.

"Some kind of key you wanted me to get for you."

"Yes, but we'll hold off on that one till the end," he explained. "I need you to confirm something for me."

Matt thought to himself. _What did he want?_

"Yeah, sure, anything."

Steven smiled.

"It has come to my attention that one of the oldest founding family members' sons have returned to Mystic Falls just three years ago. It seems he was in your graduating class," he started. "Tell me, do you know a Stefan Salvatore by chance?"

* * *

There was resounding knock at the door. As the door peaked open a smiling Enzo stood at the entry way.

"Hello, Stefan."

"Enzo," the brown-haired Salvatore replied apathetically. "What do you want?"

"Your brother and I are shooting pool tonight at the bar, care to join us?"

"I rather not, but thanks anyways," he replied still unamused.

"Suit yourself. Nice house by the way, buy this while your brother was away?"

Stefan frowned.

"Seeing that I can't exactly return to the one in Mystic Falls, it seemed logical to get another."

"Right," Enzo smirked.

Damon came down the stairs and waved to Enzo.

"Hey, buddy!"

They exchanged a handshake.

"Long time, no see. You ready for tonight?"

"Absolutely, what better way to spend time together than play with balls and sticks."

Damon laughed and patted Enzo on the back. Enzo flashed a smug look to Stefan who looked at him indifferently.

Just as they were about to leave, Damon stopped.

"Damn it, where's my phone?" He patted his pockets, "I'll be right back."

Damon ran back upstairs leaving Enzo and Stefan alone again.

"Billiards, huh."

"It was his idea," he shrugged. "You never know when he might disappear to another dimension again. At least this way I'm spending time with _my_ friend."

"Right, because I don't spend enough time with my brother," Stefan dared with a fake smile on his face.

"I'm just saying, you didn't seem to spend a lot of time trying to bring him back."

Stefan went to say something but stopped when footsteps could be heard from the top of the stairs. Damon came down scrolling through his messages. He wiggled it in his hand.

"Found it, little bastard," Damon shoved his phone in his jacket. "Alright, let's go!"

Enzo smiled as Damon walked past him.

"Are you coming or not, Enzo?"

"I'll be there in a moment."

Enzo turned back to Stefan.

"Before I forget, I have to ask you something."  
"Well, don't leave me waiting. What do you want?" Stefan crossed his arms.

"Ever hear of an ancient witch coming to Mystic Falls a couple centuries ago?"

"I get the feeling you did."

"I did some research, and I found that that witch apparently came offering a gift. A gift to cure the world of all evil. Weird, huh?" he grinned.

"Yeah, weird," Stefan agreed cautiously. "And where did you get this information?"

"Let's just say I met some interesting fellows while I was locked up with those wannabe vampire hunters," he laughed. "I mean, what is this, Pandora trying to take back her box?"

He laughed some more, Stefan only giving a small smile.

"We're missing happy hour, Enzo!" Damon called from the driveway.

"I'm coming!" He turned back to Stefan, "But I suppose it's just another myth, you know, like vampires and werewolves. As if those exists." Enzo winked before leaving, "Don't stay up too late, kiddo. He and I won't be back till late."

With that Enzo joined Damon in his car. The engine roared as they drove away. Stefan closed the door concerned. He'd have to check on something when the border was down, because there was no way they could've found out. No possible way they would've known. And yet they did.

_But how?_

* * *

Kai emerged from the lake, dripping all over. He walked back to where Bonnie was sitting and grabbed a towel from his bed. Wiping his face, he turned back to her.

"You should really go for a swim. The water's nice."

Bonnie looked up from her book.

"And it'll be nice tomorrow too when I'm not busy," she answered.

Sighing, he continued to wipe the rest of his body before laying at the foot of the tree. The sun basked down on his bare body that glistened with moisture from the lake. Bonnie's eyes turned away immediately.

They sat in silence.

"Y'know. I still can't believe you just got rid of your magic like that," Kai said with his eyes closed.

Bonnie froze. She didn't respond.

He opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"But I guess that's coming from someone who's never had magic of their own," he continued.

"Trust me, it's not all that great," she mumbled.

He laughed.

"Y'know when I was kid, I used to steal magic from my siblings while they were sleeping. I'd siphon just enough for the following day so I could prove to my parents that I could practice magic."

"Well, obviously that didn't last long."

Kai sat up, resting his arms behind him, holding himself up.

"You're right, it didn't. As I grew older, the spells became more complicated and more magic dependent, and at some point I just didn't have enough," he went on. "Eventually they caught me stealing magic from my twin sister."

Bonnie set her notebook down.

"That's when they realized what I really was. A siphoner."

"Did you ever think of telling your parents the truth from the beginning?"

"That's a cute thought, Bonbon, but I don't think you understand how witches see siphoners," he laughed. "We're abominations. The scum of the witch community. The atrocities of the sacred art. Essentially outsiders."

She studied his face, but there was no sign of sadness when he spoke.

"It's not like being a witch is all that amazing."

"Really?" he asked fascinated.

"Yeah," she scoffed. "It was the moment my friends realized that I was a witch, that they realized they could use me for anything."

"Like what?"

She laughed to herself.

"How about freeing a tomb full of vampires, or opening a casket of a thousand year-old witch, or dropping the veil to the Other Side? And let's not forget the countless locater spells my friends used at their disposal," she ranted. "I've done almost every kind of magic there is."

She cringed at the memory of years of being pushed around by others, being forced to perform spells she hadn't fully understood, doing things she had never intended. In the two years she discovered her powers, she had resurrected the dead, completed an Expression Triangle, and died twice in the process.

"Impressive," Kai nodded. "I guess I was right to assume that you are a powerful witch."

"_Was_ a powerful witch," she corrected.

"Right, w_as_," he repeated.

He turned to admire the lake.

"Tell me, did you ever once do something for yourself?" he glanced back at her. She turned away. "I don't mean to pry, but it seems like you were giving more to your friends than they were giving to you."

"Once," she said softly.

"What happened?"

"I died."

He looked at her confused as if he had seen a ghost.

"Uh, then…"

"I'm alive now, obviously. But when I tried to bring Jer–, my friend, back to life, I used too much magic to resurrect him and it kind of killed me in his place."

"Oh."

"Yeah, something about nature always finding balance."

"And where is this friend now?"

"In Mystic Falls, alive, I hope," she smiled to herself.

"Hm," he thought out loud. "Well, Miss Bennett, you're probably the strongest witch I've ever encountered, and I've learned a lot about you today."

She looked back at him.

"Like what?"

"That you truly are 'brave, loyal, and patient,'" he replied. "And that's exactly why you're stuck here with me."

* * *

Caroline followed next to the doctor, holding out the research she had printed. They strolled through the university's medical center as they talked.

"And that's when I read your article in the 'New England Journal of Medicine.' You talk about tumor reduction using Hypothermia treatments," Caroline spoke.

Doctor Moore looked to her impressed.

"That's not exactly a light reading, dear. I don't even assign my students to read that journal."

"Well, I didn't say I completely understood it," she laughed nervously.

Digging into her bag, she pulled out a folder.

"These are my mom's charts," she handed them to him. "Look, your bio says that you're an amazing expert on glioblastoma and I really, really need an expert because my mom's doctors are telling her that she's not a good candidate for clinical trials."

Caroline looked directly into the doctor's eyes.

"And you're not going to give me any grief on insurance or confidentiality or anything except your honest opinion," she compelled.

The doctor nodded before he looked through Liz's charts, scanning each page carefully before answering.

"Her doctors are doing everything right."

Caroline's heart dropped.

"It's a Grade IV tumor," he continued. "They could try full-brain radiation, but that would seriously impact any remaining quality of life. She'll face cognitive and verbal decline, motor loss, personality change, and meanwhile, she could still be prone to developing a morphine-resistant pain."

She swallowed her tears.

"So, you're saying that there's no feasibly medical solution?" she asked.

"I really wish there were, but there's nothing we can do."

He handed the charts back to Caroline and walked away.

Taking a deep breath, Caroline pulled out her phone. Two thirty-six pm. Her mom would be expecting her in three hours, and it would take her at least two and half hours to drive back. She quickly dialed a number and held it to her ear listening to the phone ring. A voice picked up.

"Hello?"

"Elena," she spoke hesitantly. "Do you still have that patient? I'd like to see him."

* * *

It was past midday, the sun had just passed its peak. The cloudy grey horizon painted the sky with a gloomy look of despair. Marcel sat over the edge of an abandoned parking garage. Weeds peaked from the cracks and mold stained the walls with thick brown. From across the river, he could make out the French Quarter. His home, his kingdom.

Klaus' child was alive, a revelation discovered shortly after barging into what used to be his home to ask for the hybrid's aid. He didn't think to question how Klaus' child supposedly died, he figured the wolves had killed her when the Guerrera's attacked. But to see his child in Hayley's arms was shocking to say the least.

He hadn't thought about confronting Klaus about it. He feared what he might do if he found out that he knew about his precious child. One of two things could happen; either he'd be killed on the spot or compelled to forget everything, and the thought of forgetting this piece of information would be such a loss.

This could be his leverage. His chance to take back the kingdom that Klaus had so unfairly taken from him. The kingdom that was rightfully his. But was he really willing to risk it all with that child? He knew Klaus' wrath would be endless, and it would be pointless to work against Klaus when they had yet to find another way to stop the hybrid without killing him so the rest of his line wouldn't die alongside him. Besides, Klaus provided protection. Why leave the winning side. Finn was obviously doing a terrible job at stopping his siblings. He shook his head.

Josh, a twenty-year old vampire with dark brown hair, entered with Gia, a young woman with raven hair and deep brown eyes.

"Marcel, they're here," he announced.

He nodded.

Getting up from his position, Marcel towered above the edge of the garage. Looking down at the small crowd of people below he took one step forward, plummeting to the ground before landing gracefully in front of them with ease.

They backed away astounded, a mix of fear and curiosity on their faces.

He brushed off his pants before standing before them.

"My name is Marcellus, but you can call me Marcel," he began. "What you just saw is probably something you've never seen before."

He paced in front of them, looking each of them in the eye. Gia and Josh joining him from above.

"What you're about to see is like nothing you've ever experienced, nothing you'll ever be able to do without my help," he went on. "Because trust me when I say: being a vampire is a thrill like no other."

* * *

Joe walked quickly through the hallway, stuffing files in their compartments and signing papers from nurses.

"Yes, I need pain killers for patient five and a feces sample from patient four," she spoke to the nurse.

The nurse nodded and left to retrieve what she had asked.

Alaric tapped Joe's shoulder holding two cups of coffee. Joe smiled.

"I'm glad I caught you before you touched a feces sample," he joked. "Here, I brought you a café latte with a pump of vanilla, an extra shot, and whip cream on top with caramel drizzle, just the way he liked it."

She took the warm paper cup from him.

"It's two pumps of vanilla and two extra shots of expresso."

"Darn, I'll get it next time."

She kissed him.

"Thank you," she smiled, "But I've still got a lot to do."

She began to walk away. Alaric followed after her.

"How about we do something tonight? What time do you get off? I'll pick you up."

"Not tonight," she turned back to him. "I've got interns to teach at five, and nonstop patient hearings from now until ten. Maybe another time."

"Ten it is then!"

"It's kind of late, don't you think?"

"For old people, yes."

Joe frowned.

"But we're not old!" he added. "Come on. You work all the time. We can go midnight bowling and grab a drink after? How does that sound?"

She looked at him for a moment, thinking. Before nodding.

"Ten o'clock," she agreed and kissed him again before walking away. "But prepare to get your ass kicked."

* * *

The doorbell rang. Its bells echoing through the small room. Getting up from her seat on the couch, Camille placed her research papers on the coffee table next to her mug. She was dressed in jeans and a loose blouse as she walked to the door. Looking through the peephole she saw a puffy-eyed girl. She quickly unlocked the door.

"Davina, what's wrong?"

Davina stood teary red eyes. She looked like a mess. Her lips quivering when she responded.

"Kol… Kol broke up with me."

"Oh honey, come on in."

Camille held the door out wider and ushered her in, closing the door behind them. She sat her down on the couch and wrapped her arm around her.

"What happened? Why'd you guys break up?"

"I don't know," Davina cried burying her face in Camille's chest.

Grabbing a box of tissues, she handed them to Davina who proceeded to wipe off her smeared make-up.

"Lately we've been working on this spell together," she started. "But it's really hard and complicated, so we've been having troubles trying to get it to work."

Taking the tissue box, Camille set it back on the coffee table as Davina continued to talk.

"And I don't know, but I went to help Marcel and his friends with this thing, but then things got out of hand, so Kol had to show up and save us," she explained. "But I thought we left on good terms. But when I left to see him yesterday, he told me he didn't want to see me anymore becausehefoundsomeotherwitchtodothespelland-"

She began to cry hysterically again, throwing herself over Camille while she tried to soothe her. There had to be something in psychology notes about how to properly comfort people in distress, but she must've skipped that chapter.

"It's okay, it's okay, Davina," Camille said calmly, rubbing Davina's back.

"No, it's not okay!"

_Well, not with that attitude_, she thought.

"Did you try to talk to him after that?"

"No, I think he's mad at me because I tried to prove to him I was capable of doing the spell. But then I failed," Davina wailed. "I failed, Cami. I'm a failure!"

She cried some more.

Camille sighed as she wrapped her arms around the young witch. Just another day as a human in New Orleans she supposed.

* * *

Caroline rushed into Whitmore hospital. Maneuvering through the busy hallways, she rushed passed countless rooms before coming across a group of students dressed in red polos. Searching through the crowd, so looked for a familiar brunette.

Elena's hand popped up, waving to her from the middle of the crowd. She quickly excused herself from the group of students, she rejoined her blonde friend.

"Hey," Caroline greeted.

"Hey."

Elena pulled her into a hug before letting go.

"Perfect timing," Elena sighed. "We were about to identify pee samples."

They shivered together in disgust.

"So how've you been? How're the sessions with your mom going?" Elena worriedly asked.

"Well, for starters, I actually attend them with her now," she answered nervously.

"Well, that's good."

"Yeah," she swallowed. "I mean, it's still really hard for me to see her like this. But she's always really happy when I'm there with her, so I guess that's all that really matters."

Elena rested her hands on her shoulders.

"You're doing the right thing, Care."

She nodded her head.

"Are you sure about this though?" the brunette asked.

She hesitated.

Was she sure about this? She could be risking her mother's life. But if she didn't try, her mom could lose her last chance of survival. At least this way she'd know that she had tried everything she could.

She looked back to Elena and nodded confidently.

"Yes," she confirmed. "The doctors say she has about two months left in her, if the chemo works, she'll maybe have another three months, but that's still uncertain."

Elena looked at her sadly.

"I'm not ready for my mom to die, Elena. Two months, five months. It'll never be enough. I have to try."

Elena nodded her head understandingly.

"Alright. Come with me."

The two of them began to rush through the hall to a separate wing of the hospital. Frequently, Elena had to flash her medical badge to the other nurses who looked at them questionably until they finally made it to the last room of the corridor.

While Elena pulled up the patient's medical file, Caroline peaked through the glass window.

The blinds were shut to the outside window and the curtains were almost completely covered. Only a lamp brightened the dimly lit the dark room. A middle-aged man slept soundly atop the hospital bed, covered with white sheets.

"So this is him?" she asked.

"Yeah, his name is Daniel. He's an ex-solider from the army. He was sent here about three months ago from his station at Virginia Beach," Elena read from the file. "Apparently he had collapsed during a mission, and the doctors found a tumor in his brain. He shares all the same medical conditions as Liz, except he has about a week left in him. Now he's just running the clock."

She handed her the file.

Caroline placed her hand on the door knob.

"You're sure?" she asked again. "I mean I'll closely monitor him for the next week or so and let you know how he's doing. But, Care, if he dies. It's–"

"I know, it'll be on me," she nodded reassuringly. "Thanks."

Caroline entered the room and closed the door behind her with a click while Elena stood outside keeping watch.

Entering the room, Caroline looked down at the sickly man before her. His eyes were slightly sunken in and his skin pale. She could barely see the slow heaves of breath coming from his chest otherwise she would've mistaken him of already being dead. She moved towards the bed and opened the file.

"Daniel Jacobson. An inoperable tumor," she read. "They've been zapping your brain with radiation for months now and yet they still couldn't save you."

The man grumbled.

"Yeah. I'd be groggy too if I were on that many painkillers. My friend said that all they can do is make you feel as comfortable as possible while you wait for the end," she paused. "I'm really sorry to hear that."

She moved to sit on the edge of the bed and read on.

"It says '_next of kin: none_.' I'm sorry to hear that too," she moved closer. "But you see, on my mom's chart, on this spot, next of kin. That's where my name goes. Caroline Forbes. I'm all she's got, and she's all I've got."

Rolling down the sleeve of her cardigan, Caroline bit into her wrist so blood freely oozed. She softly pressed her wrist to his mouth so he could drink it. His eyes fluttered open as he looked at her confused. The monitor's beeps beginning to ding faster.

She looked into his eyes.

"Hey, I know we just met," she compelled. "But you're not going to remember any of this."

The beeps began to slow, until Daniel's eyes closed. Pulling her wrist away, Caroline let the magic heal her wound. Just as she opened the door, she looked back down at Daniel full of hope and worry. She exited the room, Elena following after her until the door shut with a click.

* * *

Setting a box down among the others, Hayley and Jackson slouched down against the stacks of boxes, exhausted from a long day of carrying packages and furniture. They breathed heavily until their breathing returned back to normal.

"Well, I think that was the last of them," Jackson said standing up.

He offered his hand for Hayley to grab, pulling her up as well.

"That wasn't too bad," Hayley replied resting her hands on her hips. "Four flights of stairs, no biggie."

Jackson laughed.

"You'd think Klaus and his incredibly rich family could afford to give you guys a condo with at least one more elevator."

"I don't mind," he admitted. "Good exercise."

"I suppose."

Hayley began to walk around the empty room. There was a couch, a kitchen and a bedroom with a bath with boxes scattered everywhere waiting to be unpacked.

"It's actually pretty nice."

She knew Klaus was probably just trying to win the favor of the wolves just so he could manipulate them into doing his bidding. But what could they do? Their pack and several others were being controlled by Finn, and at least this way Hope would have more protection. But it still felt wrong to marry someone for your own benefit and not love. Especially since she still had lingering feeling for a certain original vampire.

She looked at him sadly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing, really."

She nodded, but he was unconvinced.

"Hayley, we're going to be married soon," Jackson walked towards her and took her hand in his. "And I want us to be able to tell each other things."

But that was something she couldn't do. There were too many secrets. Too many things she wasn't proud of and afraid to tell him. And it killed her inside that she couldn't be honest with him. Not yet, at least. A look of guilt washed over her face.

"But I understand if you don't want to right now," he said sincerely. "Just know I'm here to listen."

"It's just," she sighed. "Family drama, I guess."

She slid her back against the wall until she was sitting on the floor. Jackson joined her.

"Did you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know. It's kind of…complicated."

"Try me," he smiled.

"Where do I even start?" she joked. "They're always fighting, and believe me when I say '_always_ fighting.' Whether they're on the same side or not, they'll always find time in the day to bicker at least once."

Jackson laughed, "And?"

"They're really secretive too, they don't even tell each other stuff. They all have their own personal agendas going on, and I feel like I'm stuck in the middle because I'm Ho–" she stopped herself.

Jackson looked at her curiously.

"You're what?"

She stared back at him regretfully, trying to suppress her desire to tell him the truth. Here Jackson was, an honest guy that would do just about anything for her. And here she was, his fiancé, who still couldn't bring herself to tell him the truth because of the danger it might illicit.

She glanced away.

"I guess that's what I get for searching for a family all my life," she chuckled to herself. "Figures I get stuck with the most complicated family of them all."

"Hey," he leaned forward. "You did find your family. Here, with us. Your pack. And when we're married and all this is done, we can get out of here and live our lives with the pack like we're supposed to. Free from witches, and vampires, and hybrids."

It was a nice thought. A dream that could never come true. If only he knew the complications it would bring. _Who would take care of Hope? How could they escape from the one man that's unkillable? How could they ever be free?_

She smiled sadly.

_If only it were true._

* * *

Finn barged into the quiet greenhouse covered in dirt and disheveled clothing. Viciously he tore at the room, scattering spell parchments and empty vials to the floor. He slammed his fist on the table angrily.

_Who was that girl and where did she get all that power?_

What he had witnessed was indescribable, a power he had never encountered before and it was residing under the roof of the very enemies he was trying to take down. It had taken him months to master the art at such a degree, and even then he still couldn't comprehend the true limits of his power now that he was channeling his parents.

Desperately he searched through the spells that Esther had left behind, reading each one carefully trying to find a niche to gaining so much power, but they all pointed to dangerous practices like black magic.

He swiped the parchments away. Useless.

With the girl on Klaus' side, they were impossible to defeat, and there was no way he could channel that amount of power in such a short period of time without killing himself in the process. He needed a plan. A way to get her on his side. But judging by her desperate actions towards Elijah, she seemed to favor him. What puzzled him the most was that the woman even knew his name, but he couldn't recall ever meeting her.

He glanced down at Esther and Mikael who still lay dormant. Their power surging through him. The power was intense, but nothing like he had seen with the girl. He paused.

_So why not channel her?_

* * *

Slow jazz music played outside. He could barely make out the tune from the opened window of Rousseau's. Klaus sat quietly at the bar, his elbows resting heavily on the table with his hands wrapped around a glass of bourbon. His thumbs rubbed against the edges as he slowly twisted the glass in his hand. He knew it was getting fairly late, but he had no intention of leaving any time soon.

He had to find a way to save his sister. Whatever was killing her was something he, nor his family, had ever seen before. But what boggled his mind the most was why Rebekah? Why her? What made her a candidate for such torture? She was barely a witch, an amateur at most. She had no previous practice in magic, nor any interest in it.

The amount of power she was holding was too overwhelming for her control that it was quite literally killing her. He shook his head angrily. When he found out whoever was the cause of this, he'd kill them ten times over for hurting her.

"Klaus," a voice called, pulling him from his thoughts.

He looked up to see the blonde bartender dressed in her usual waitress attire. She walked towards him.

Camille. A grad student looking to get a job in psychology. He had just met her the year before when he tried to compel her to spy on Marcel. But since then, her use to him had diminished. Now she was nothing more than an outlet. It amused him to listen to her try to make sense of his life and categorize them into different groups. As if his problems were far from "ordinary".

"Did you need another drink?" she offered.

He lifted his glass to show it was already half full.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"So how've you been? How's the family?" she asked as she took a towel and began to wipe down glasses.

"The usual," he replied, taking a sip of his drink. "And you?"

"Well, if you count watching over a heartbroken teenage witch for a day normal, then I guess the 'usual'."

"I presume you're talking about Davina."

"Yeah," she sighed. "I was working on a research paper for my graduate degree and she showed up at my door absolutely teary-eyed."

"Well, that's unfortunate."

"For her, yes, for me, not so much," she went on. "She told me Kol dumped her for some other witch. Do you know anything about that?"

He shrugged.

"Beats me. My little brother has always had a fancy for powerful witches."

"So you're telling me Davina isn't a powerful witch?"

"I've dealt with stronger."

"So I suppose you know this new witch."

"Not necessarily. But I get the feeling I know who it is."

Camille rested the towel on the sink and leaned against the ledge.

"Well, where is she from?"

"Just a small town in Virginia."

"Really," she asked interested. "Do you have any friends up there?"

_Friends_. What a joke. He could hardly call them aquanctices.

He laughed to himself.

"I wouldn't exactly say that. But I did have two of them visit me just recently."

"Really? Wow. How long were they in town?"

"For the day, I suppose. They just needed my blood."

"So they're supernatural friends," she thought out loud. "I'm going to guess they're vampires since they want your blood."

He nodded.

She looked at him questionably.

"So they're vampires in Virginia too?"

"They're vampires everywhere, sweetheart."

"That blows my mind. I mean, just a year ago I found out vampires were real, but now to think that they could be anywhere is kind of," she paused. "Scary."

He looked back up at her with his devilish eyes, but continued to drink his bourbon.

"Do you still go visit? To that small town I mean."

"No," he answered bluntly. "I'm a little wrapped up here."

"Well, what's holding you here?"

For one thing, his sister was slowly dying from some unknown cause. His child needed protection from those who'd try to harm her. His brother was still suffering from a post-traumatic experience from his mother. And an Expression Triangle was in the midst of being completed. But he couldn't tell her that. Her feeble human mind could barely comprehend the logistics of the troubles he tackled every day to protect those he loved. So he resorted to something less "supernatural".

"We're in the middle of preparing for Hayley's marriage to Jackson."

Cami cupped her mouth, her eyes wide.

He looked at her confused.

"She's getting married? That's so exciting!" she cheered. "When's the ceremony?"

"It's hard to say when my elder brother and father are trying to kill me and my family."

"Oh, right," she calmed herself. "Crazy brother and murderous dad on the loose. Got it."

He downed the last of his drink, before getting up from his seat.

"Wait, Klaus."

Cami inadvertently grabbed his arm.

He stopped and looked down at his arm and back at the nervous blonde. She quickly pulled her hand away embarrassed.

"Um. I know you're probably going through a tough time right now. With Hayley's wedding plans and your family always in danger," she spoke. "But just remember there are good things out there, Klaus. It may not seem like it now, but they're out there. Okay?"

He paused, thinking to himself, before nodding appreciatively. Leaving a hefty tip, he walked out the door.

* * *

He remembered stepping out of a hot shower. As he stood in front of the foggy mirror, he could feel the droplets of water sliver down his body. Taking a towel, he wiped the center of the mirror so he could see himself more clearly. He turned to his right where he had dug pruning shears in his back for hours. He lightly touched the area where his wound would've been, but it had already healed.

He sighed.

He had never encountered someone as powerful as Silas before. Somehow he had been able to trick him, the infamous Klaus Mikaelson, into thinking that a piece of the white oak stake was lodged in his back. The reminder of hours of relentless prying made him cringe at the humiliation. This Silas fellow was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

After drying himself off, he set the towel down. He glanced down at the clothes he had worn earlier.

Pants covered in blood.

That simply wouldn't do. Especially not in front of Caroline. He'd have to get some out of his wardrobe. Or a shirt at the very least.

He wrapped a towel around his waist and placed his necklaces around his neck before exiting the washroom. Stepping out, he immediately felt the cold air shiver over his bare chest. His room was only a couple feet away. He'd have to hurry and grab some clothes before Car–

Caroline entered the hall carrying a box of baking soda and a jug of vinegar.

"Hey, Klaus. So I found these in your kitchen, and I think I read in a website that they could clean up blo–" her head shot up to face him when she stopped. Her eyes grew wide as they trailed down his body to the flimsy white towel that was barely wrapped around his waist.

"Oh my god!" she screamed. Turning around, she closed her eyes. "Put some clothes on, will ya!"

"You can look," he mused. "I certainly don't mind."

"Ew, no!" she faced him, but one look at his naked chest, sent her head spinning the other way.

He laughed amused.

She huffed away loudly into the other room still carrying the box of baking soda and jug of vinegar. He watched her disappear behind the wall muttering to herself before heading to his room to put on some clothes. Rummaging through his wardrobe, he searched for an appropriate attire. He settled with his usual apparel: a grey Henley with a pair of jeans.

Entering the other room he could see Caroline throwing handfuls of baking soda onto the wooden floor where his blood had been.

He stood behind her and said, "You're going to need more than that, love."

Jerking forward, the box of baking soda fell from her hands as she quickly spun around to see Klaus. She frowned.

"Don't do that!" she exclaimed, shoving him away. "You scared me!"

"Well, who else would be here, love? This is my house after all."

"I don't know, Silas maybe."

He chuckled at her remark. Glowering, she looked back down at the mess she created. The box was nearly half-empty with its contents scattered all over the floor.

"Look what you made me do," she grumbled. She knelt down and tried to shove the extra powder back into the box, but to no avail.

"I would hope your keen vampire hearing would've heard me entering the room," he said joining her. "But I suppose I was wrong to assume."

She flashed him a glare, while a smug grin was still planted on his face.

"If you must know. I was thinking."

"Hm, is that so?" grabbing the box, he poured whatever contents he had picked up. "About what, if you don't mind me asking."

She sighed.

"This whole thing with Silas."

Dumping the remaining powder back into the box, Caroline grabbed the jug of white vinegar and began pouring a little bit of it over the baking soda. She waited for it to soak.

"Don't worry, love, I've got it covered," he assured her while handing her a small hand towel to wipe up the mess.

"Oh right," she mocked as she scrubbed at the wooden flooring. "Because you were doing _so_ well without me, right?"

"True," he admitted. "But that's not to say I don't have a plan up my sleeve."

_Not when you have no shirt on, you don't_, she thought to herself.

She pulled the towel away to observe her work. Though the mess was cleared, a faded stain of blood still remained.

"What the hell," she pouted. "The website said it would work."

Klaus chuckled as she dropped the towel defeated.

"I figured as much," he said getting up.

She glanced up at him slightly offended as he left the room and returned with another jug.

Bleach.

"Take it from someone who's had to cover their tracks for centuries."

Uncapping the bottle, he poured it over the blood stain. Taking the towel, he rubbed the wooden floor until it was gone. He looked up at Caroline with a haughty grin.

She rolled her eyes. Grabbing the box and jug with her, she moved to the next location where blood had been. The carpet under the piano. He joined her with the bleach.

"Well, your plan better work before tomorrow."

"And why is that?"

She looked at him astounded as if he should've known all along. She waited for him to catch on, but he just stared back her blankly. She threw her arms up.

"Hello?" she gawked. "_Prom_."

He laughed.

Caroline frowned upset at his obvious amusement. Her lips pressed into a thin line.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, it's just not something I'd consider important."

"Prom is _so _important," she defended.

"Really, now," he challenged.

"Yes," she insisted. "Prom is like the one night when it's socially acceptable to spend hundreds of dollars on your hair and makeup, and wear big gowns in public."

"You can wear fancy gowns all you'd like, love. I have a room full of them upstairs."

She scowled.

"Well, not every day is a Mikaelson Ball, Klaus," she retorted.

She began to scrub away at the carpet again. He snickered.

As he watched her scrub, he couldn't help but think she was a spitting image of a Cinderella. He chuckled to himself. Caroline gazed back at him anxiously.

Taking the towel from her grasp, he said, "Allow me."

He began to rub away at the stain while Caroline sat back observing.

_He's so close_, she thought.

She could still feel the heat emanating from his body. The bare body that she had been plowing at for hours with pliers. She had almost forgotten that her hands were all over him while she tried to search for the lodged stake that wasn't there. But there was something there. A strong back, with lean muscles shaping every crevice and a triangle tattoo engraved on the upper right corner of his shoulder. Before she could realize she had been staring intently at his back, he turned to glance at her.

"Is there a problem, sweetheart?"

She shook her head embarrassed.

"Uh, no."

They got up and moved to the next location. In front of the fireplace. Once more she poured backing soda and white vinegar on the stain, while Klaus scrubbed and added bleach.

"So what're your plans for prom?" he asked curiously.

Not that he was thinking about stopping by to steal a dance or anything. He was merely curious.

She looked at him surprised.

"Well," she began. "I'm going to pick up my dress from this new boutique down by the Grill, and then get my hair and make-up done at home. I'm supposed to show up at the dance a little early to check on the votes for Prom King and Queen, and make sure their crowns are ready. But after the dance, I think we're having a party at Tyler's house whe–"

She slowly trailed off when she was reminded that her boyfriend wouldn't be attending. Because her boyfriend was out in the world trying to flee death. Because suddenly it dawned to her that the man before her was the reason why.

"I should go."

Caroline got up abruptly, Klaus' gaze following her. She began to rush towards the hall.

"What's wrong, love?" he asked, following after her.

"You! It's you," she faced him angrily.

He stopped in his place.

"It's you," she repeated. "You're what's wrong."

He stared back at her blankly, unsure how to respond.

"You're the bad guy, Klaus," she went on. "You're the reason why my best friend's aunt's dead. The reason why my boyfriend's a hybrid and why his mother's gone. The reason why we even met Katherine in the first place who started this whole mess. It was _you_. You're what's wrong."

He looked at her defiantly.

"And."

"And you've done terrible things, Klaus. Terrible things. And I just don't think you deserve my help."

She turned to leave.

"And what about you."

Caroline froze.

"What, do you think because you drink blood in moderation it makes you any less a vampire?" he challenged. She faced him angrily. "Do you think because you suppress your desires to kill that you're any less than the ravenous beast inside? Or that you're nothing like the monster that you hide?"

He had her attention now, and this time, it was his turn to talk.

He sneered.

"Yes, I am the man that makes people quake in fear. The man who's killed scores of people and has ravaged hundreds of covens for centuries," he slowly stalked towards her. "Yes, I killed Elena's aunt to break my curse, hell, I even killed her mother too. Yes, I turned Tyler into a hybrid and killed his mother for his betrayal. And yes, I terrorized Katherine for five-hundred years for fleeing her fate, and guess what, sweetheart, I don't regret killing her whole family either. So call me what you wish; a villain, a rogue, a monster. I'm not denying what I've done. But it's who I am, sweetheart, it's what I do."

"Then why me," she pressed. "Why call me for help? Why not call Rebekah, or Elijah? Or ask one of your hybrids?"

"Well, why not you?" he cried.

She scoffed. As she turned away, he seized her arm, yanking her to face him.

"Don't you dare turn away from me."

It was more of a plea than a demand. She gazed at him uncertainly as his eyes bore into hers.

"You know what effect you have over me."

"No, I–"

"Yes, you do."

She turned away guiltily, but his gaze never strayed.

He never cared much for how she'd manipulate him. How she'd use her whims against him so her friends could sneak around his house or engineer plans behind his back. He didn't care. He was almost happy enough to oblige as long as she was in his company.

"You're kind, you're compassionate, you put other's problems before your own," he said weakly. "Why wouldn't I trust you?"

_Trust. _

He trusted her, something that she didn't expect to hear from those lips. After all those times she was sent to distract him, he still trusted her. So much so that he didn't even hold his family at such a high regard. It was frightening how much control she had over him, how vulnerable he was, and what her actions could do.

What were his words again?

**_I've shown kindness, forgiveness, pity. Because of you, Caroline. It was all for you. _**

Those words resonated in her mind as she gazed back at him. Pulling away, she shook her head and walked back to the fireplace to help clean up the mess. As she knelt down, she looked back up at Klaus.

"I think this could use a little more bleach."

He nodded silently and handed it to her. As she took the jug from him, he walked away to a separate room.

Taking his phone out, he dialed his sister's number. It would probably be best if he called her now to check up on the situation seeing that he was uneasy to confront Caroline after their talk. He held the phone up to his ear and listened to it ring.

"What do you want, Nik?" Rebekah answered annoyed.

"An update on our search for the elusive cure."

"Let's just say that things have gotten complicated. In fact, why don't you speak to one of those complications," she handed the phone over. "Here."

"Complication speaking," a familiar voice answered.

"Big brother," Klaus smiled in recognition. "At last you join the fray."

"Somebody had to take charge. And now that I have, I've got the cure and I'm bringing it back to Mystic Falls."

"With a long list of demands, I assume."

"Not that long."

He heard the slam of a car door on the other line.

"Come home, brother. We'll settle this like family."

Klaus hung up his phone and prepared to return back to the other room.

"I used all your bleach."

Caroline entered. She walked past him as she wiped her hands with a towel.

"Hey," Klaus reached out and grabbed her arm again.

She spun around to look down at her arm and then back at him uncertainly.

"Thank you, for helping me," he said.

"Yeah," she paused awkwardly.

He looked at her in utter gratitude as she tried to turn her eyes away.

"Well, if you need anything else," she shoved the towel to his chest. "_Don't_ call me. I have a prom to plan."

Once more she turned to walk away almost making it to the hall when Klaus hesitantly called out.

"Friends, then?"

She paused. _Had she heard him correctly?_

Biting her lip, she faced him.

He looked at her uneasily, waiting for her response.

"Are you gonna let Tyler come back into town?"

His face fell, unable to respond.

Caroline shook her head slightly, before turning away.

"You might've noticed," he blurted. Caroline turned to face him again. "I'm not exactly scouring the earth for him, am I?"

A small smile broke on Caroline's lips, before she once more turned and left the room with a little skip in her step. As he watched her go, he couldn't help but smile as well.

_I'll take that as a yes._

* * *

Klaus lightly knocked on the bedroom door. Peaking in, he could see Hayley holding Hope in her arms. His daughter was fast asleep wrapped comfortably in her mother's arms. Hayley looked up to him and smiled. Getting up she placed Hope in his arms.

"She's sleeping now. But you can hold her."

As Hayley silently left the room, he slowly set Hope back down in her cradle, watching her sleep. Her small breaths coming from her chest and the way she lightly clung to his finger made him smile to himself.

_Yes, there are good things,_ he thought.

And the first person to show him that was a blonde vampire back in Mystic Falls.

* * *

It was dusk. Bonnie stumbled through the Lockwood property as she searched through the woods for the lake. Kai was back at the boarding house sleeping soundlessly when she had slipped away. All she carried was a small pack with the map, her notebook, and flashlight in it.

When she had finally reached the clearing, she immediately began to strip. As she lifted her shirt over her head, she felt the cold air sting her bare skin. She did the same with her shoes and pants, shoving them in her bag. She hadn't had time to pick up proper swimwear from her old house, so she was just in her bra and underwear. She set her items under the tree and walked slowly to the edge of the lake. The moon illuminated the clear water.

Taking her flashlight with her, she took one step into the lake, the icy cold water enveloping her foot. She shivered, but pushed forward. She continued to wade into the lake, until she was chest deep. She could still feel the soft sand under her feet, but as she went deeper, the bottom became harder to see. When she had barely her chin above the water, she took a deep breath of air and dived in.

It took a while for her vision to adjust. But soon the moon's light shined through the surface so she could see her surroundings. She continued to swim towards the center, making large strokes. When she needed air, she'd swim back up before going back down. She was getting closer. She could tell by how it became darker.

When she had reached the center, she looked down at what was below her. A gaping hole the size of a crater. It was dark and she still couldn't see the bottom, so she turned on her flashlight. Still nothing. She dove deeper, her flashlight leading the way. Its ray of light revealing stony walls that shaped the basin. She swam deeper into the dark abyss, until she was no longer visible except for the air bubbles escaping her lips.

* * *

**TAH-DAH. And chapter thirteen concludes! Forgive me if it got boring at some parts, BUT IT HAD TO BE DONE FOR STORY DEVELOPMENT. I don't particularly throw things into these chapters for kicks and giggles, unless its Klaroline related. **

**So yes, I decided to include Camille and Enzo. They're not exactly my favorite characters especially since they're, in my opinion, wannabe Klauses and Carolines. I also think they're probably the most useless characters on the show. But although I don't particularly like them, I have plans for them. Pretty generic roles in my story. But I do actually need them. Hopefully this way, I somewhat redeem their characters. **

**And yes, I included the baby plot, if that hasn't been obvious enough through the past chapters. Although I believe the baby plot was such a terrible TERRIBLE mistake, as I said before, I try to stay canon to the show as much as possible (except with a twist). So a lot of the characters or ideas that are already on the show will probably be introduced in my story, but in a different way. But for those of you who don't watch the show(s) anymore, this will all seem like new information.**

**On a side note. I just wanted to make it clear for those who watched the last episode of S1 of the Originals, that Klaus compelled Marcel to forget that his daughter was actually alive.**

**Alright. The Klaroline moment. So I always wondered what happened before Klaus called Elijah. What I really like about this pairing is that, they always have honest arguments. If that makes sense? Like they always call each other out. Like when they're at the Decade Dance and Caroline gets angry at him for his whole "alpha male" facade, and then he goes on and says later that a small town life won't be enough for her. Like I really love that about them. They're arguments are always really honest. But for this moment, I always wondered why Klaus would call her for help? I mean, she's almost as manipulative as him and yet he trusted her. **

**"Good things" was a reference to when Camille and Klaus danced *barfs* and she said, "They are good things." In my head, I'd like to think that among the art, music, and culture he's seen, Caroline was the first thing he thought of. **

**Alright so I'd like to apologize beforehand if I don't update for the next two weeks. I know. I just finally started to update, and now I'm leaving again. Unfortunately its finals week for me which means a crap load of projects, presentations, exams, and papers due. Yeah. It's going to be a little hectic. But don't you fret, I will return! I always need a little bit of Klaroline in my day. **

**On that note, some good news. For those of you who don't know. The Teen Choice Awards (TCAs) are in August and last week was the beginning of voting for a nominees. A Klaroliner asked the TCAs if Klaus and Caroline could be included and they said yes! So for the past four days, the Klaroline fandom came together and we were voting like CRAZY. I kid you not, my TL was covered with "I nominate Klaus and Caroline for #ChoiceTVChemistry #ChoiceTVLiplock #TeenChoice". I had never seen so many Klaroline fans come together to fight for our fandom. I'm not even joking, it was a war against the Delena and Steroline fandom. Some days we'd be ahead, other days we'd be behind. But the voting was a little questionable because a lot of fandoms used bots to cheat on ALL sides. But I'm happy to say, our fandom reached 1.6 million votes! And to top it off, WE BEAT THE DELENA AND STEROLINE FANDOM. And if you think that's not enough, try this. THE KLAROLINE FANDOM WAS #1 IN VOTING, meaning we beat ALL the fandoms from other shows. How's that for some good news? I'd love to see Plec's reaction to that. We don't know if we'll be nominated, but the TCAs would look ridiculous if they didn't include us. So look for more updates on that later!**

**Well, that's all I have for this chapter. Until next time!**

**READ. REVIEW. SHARE.**

Chapter Question: What do you think is sitting at the bottom of the Lake?

**Follow me on twitter/tumblr klarophant for updates. **

**By the way! Klaroweek is going on this week and its not too late to join in on the fun! A lot of Klaroline positivity with the sharing of videos, manips, and drabbles under the tumblr tag! Come join the fray!**


	14. Chapter 14 Plots and Schemes

**I suck at updating... I know...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters**

* * *

**Chapter 14: Plots and Schemes**

A raging fire was burning, its flames licking the white walls of the nineteenth century house. Bonnie stood only a few feet away, watching the beautiful home crumble into ash. She could feel the flames' heat beating on her skin, sparks scattering below her feet. In a flash of blinding light, Bonnie turned away, shielding her face with her arms until there was silence.

A whistle of wind whipped through the trees' leaves stirring her from her place. Laying her arms to rest she looked back at the house. What remained were ashen wooden pillars, and the red bricks that once held the house together. She inched towards it.

Walking up the rickety steps, she was careful to maneuver her way through the mess. Grass and old brush littered the floor, while weeds and vines peaked from the bricks' crevices. She stopped in the middle, looking at her surroundings.

_Nothing. Just a bunch of dead grass. _

Turning to leave, she tried to exit the other direction. One step and her weight broke through the weak floor boards. She plummeted into the gaping hole, slamming onto the stone floor with a thud.

She coughed out the dust that had lifted from her fall. Taking her arm, she pressed her sleeve over her nose and mouth so she could breathe past the thick musk that clogged the air. Steadily pulling herself up, she began to walk through the dark tunnel.

Keeping her hand on the stone wall at all times, she still felt at ease in the familiar grasp of the damp wall as she entered the darkness. After walking down the tunnel for what seemed like hours, a small light came into view. Bonnie rushed forward, abandoning the safety of the wall until she reached the light source.

It was only a slit of light from under a door. The same locked door she had seen in her past hallucinations. Sliding her hand to the latch, she tried to turn it, but it wouldn't budge.

_Still locked_, she thought.

Leaning to the ground she tried to peak one eye under so she could get a glimpse of what was inside. But all she could see was a blinding white light.

Suddenly water began to spew from the bottom of the door making Bonnie jump back in surprise. The water continued to spew out until Bonnie's boots were submerged in it. She began to panic as more and more water came out. Turning from the door, she began to run towards where she had come from, the water up to her knees now. She frantically thrashed through the water, its icy grip pulling her down. She struggled to keep her head above as the water enveloped her neck. Sucking one last gasp of air, she ducked under the surface.

Searching for the wall, she used her arms to push off it as she tried to find her way back through the darkness. Every stroke felt like an eternity, her lungs screaming for air. It was like her body was caving in on itself, her innards contracting to half their size, her blood clotting in every artery.

All of a sudden, light emanated from behind her. Looking back, Bonnie tried to make out what was going on but the white light threatened to blind her.

The locked door was open.

With a gush of water, Bonnie was mercilessly swept back, her body being ruthlessly dragged by the current as if she were a rag doll until she succumbed to the burning light.

* * *

Kai pulled Bonnie to the surface, both gasping for air.

Bonnie clung to his shoulders, shivering from the cold night air that greeted them. Wrapping his arms around her, he swam towards the shore with strong heaves. Pulling her up to the sand, Kai strained to hold her up as they both tried to ease their breathing. Bonnie coughed out some water, her hands still gripping his wet shirt.

When she had calmed herself, Kai roughly grabbed her wrists and snarled at her, "What were you doing? You could've gotten yourself killed!"

Bonnie looked at him in shock, but pressed her lips together, refusing to answer.

Kai grit his teeth angrily when he realized she had no intention of answering. Without releasing his grip, he yanked her to her feet. Grabbing her bag, he proceeded to tug her back the way they came in silence. Bonnie reluctantly following behind.

* * *

His hands glided effortlessly over the piano keys. The same hands used to rip out the lives of countless victims were now gently pressing the white and black keys in a fluid motion as if music seemed to flow from his very fingers.

Elijah stood to the side in admiration as he watched his brother play. It had been decades since he had last heard him play the piano. But despite the years of neglect, Klaus' talent never waned. He had to admit, as malicious and deceitful as Klaus was, he was certainly the most artistic one in the family.

He turned his eyes to the old woman that sat across from him. Her arms nestled on her lap and her wrinkled fingers coalesced together in an odd position. But even so, she sat up right in a poised manner with her legs crossed one over the other. She wore a stiff purple blazer over her dress and her light brown hair was pulled into a bun.

Klaus and Elijah had been searching that morning for witches, seeking an answer for Rebekah's unexplainable condition. Somehow their quest led them across the Mississippi River into Algiers to meet the regent of the French Quarter witches, Josephine LaRue.

As Klaus continued to play his rendition of _La Vien Rose_, Josephine's eyes remained closed as if she were submerged in the harmonious melody. When the song came to a close, her eyes flickered open, revealing her icy-blue eyes. Elijah studied her, unable to fathom her expression except for the small smile that played at the corner of her creased lips.

In a deep voice, she said, "Brava, Mister Mikaelson. That was truly a pleasure to listen to."

Klaus looked back at her and grinned, "You flatter me, Miss LaRue. I haven't touched a piano for quite some time. Forgive me for my lack of practice. I hope I did not offend."

"It was an absolute delight."

"That certainly means a lot coming from the violinist prodigy herself, but my talents will never live up to yours."

"Your musical talent is very much welcomed here," her smile fell. "But your presence is not."

Klaus and Elijah exchanged glances before he replied, "I'm glad that we've moved on from the ruse of pleasantries. So why don't we skip to why we're really here, Josephine."

"That's Miss LaRue to you, vampire scum," she snapped. "Now why are you here?"

Elijah pushed himself from the room's pillar and walked towards the witch, "We were hoping you could give us some information."

Turning her glance from the hybrid, she glared at the eldest brother, "I think not. What makes you think I'd want to help the likes of _you_?"

Klaus growled at her response, "I think you're mistaken, _miss_. I do not simply ask, I **_command_**."

Josephine threw a cold scowl towards him, her eyes cutting like daggers.

"How dare you. How dare you come into my home and make your demands. I am no ordinary witch, Klaus Mikaelson. I can't be swayed by your threats nor your whims. I am regent of this faction and I _command_ respect."

"Well, as long as we're stating who we are. I am the unkillable hybrid, _Josephine LaRue_. Or have you forgotten what I'm capable of?" She flinched at her name. "I can hunt your loved ones in the span of one night, I can take what little power you have and yield it as my own, I can rain my terror over you and those you love for all eternity," he raised his chin in an arrogant manner. "Are we understood?"

There was brief second of horror in her eyes, but was quickly masked with rage.

Elijah intruded, "I apologize on my brother's behalf. But we have found ourselves caught in a little dilemma."

Her eyes moved from one brother to the other, judging them both. Cooling from her rage, Josephine's shoulders fell back as she faced the elder Original, but her voice still cold as ever.

"As I stated before: What makes you think I'll help you?"

"If you help us, Miss LaRue, we are ready to offer a mutual alliance to benefit you and your witches."

She looked at him skeptically, "Go on."

"In return for your wisdom, we will guarantee protection for your witches and their future generations to come."

"Granted your wisdom is worth anything," Klaus said.

Elijah nudged him annoyed, but Josephine ignored his words.

"And how do I know you will uphold this agreement?"

"I assure you, Miss LaRue, that your witches will be protected," Elijah affirmed. "You have my word."

For a while, her eyes just bore into both Mikaelson brothers, searching for a flaw in their words before she spoke in her velvety voice once more.

"What would you like to know?"

* * *

The sound of Caroline's boots echoed in the hallway as she weaved in and out of the masses of nurses and doctors. A crowd had formed outside of one of the patient's rooms, doctors and nurses eagerly waiting to see. As she neared the group, she tried to find a familiar brunette.

"Caroline," a voice called to her.

Elena came rushing from within the crowd dressed in her work uniform, a maroon polo and badge with dark washed jeans. She came over and pulled her into a quick hug.

Once she let go, Caroline asked, "What's going on? I came here as soon as I got your message?"

"Daniel, the patient you-," she lowered her voice. "Gave your blood to. It worked. This morning when the nurses came to give him more painkillers, he was already up and about."

Caroline's mouth dropped in shock, her eyes wide as she stared back at her friend.

"He's scheduled to leave the hospital tomorrow morning to return back to his base. He's very eager to get back to work," she went on.

Elena stopped to study her friend's expression.

"It worked," she barely whispered.

"Yes, Caroline. It worked," she repeated.

Rushing forward, Caroline pushed past some of the nurses to get a look at the patient she had supposedly saved. When the man came into view, she froze in place.

Daniel Jacobson. An ex-soldier from the army sent in with an inoperable tumor. He was expected to die in the following days, but now he stood tall, a toothy grin plastered on his face from ear-to-ear, and a gleam in his eye. He smiled as doctors and nurses continued to bombard him with questions and congratulations on his miracle recovery. His eyes only briefly flicked over to Caroline's, before returning back to the cute little nurse tugging at his arm.

_It really worked_, Caroline thought.

She turned back to Elena who still had a smile on her face. Caroline was suddenly overwhelmed with happiness that tears began to spill from her eyes. She ran back to her friend and hugged her.

"It worked. It really worked," she cried as she embraced Elena tightly.

"Yes, Care, it worked," Elena smiled. "You can save your mom."

Elena soothingly rubbed her back as she hugged her back. Tears began to well up in her eyes as a wave of relief and joy overcame her.

"It worked. It really worked," she continued to repeat as she wept into Elena's arms in relief.

* * *

She was running away in a dark forest. Looking ahead all she could see was an endless sea of trees. Their thin, pale trunks arranged in a sporadic pattern as she rushed through them. It was as if she were running through a never ending maze, and all she could hear were the deep breaths coming from her chest.

"**_Rebekah_**," the trees whispered.

She looked towards the direction of the sound, but saw nothing. She continued to run, her legs burning with fatigue.

"**_Rebekah, dear_**," the voice cooed.

She willed herself to keep going. She wasn't sure where she was headed, but all she knew is that she needed to get away. She needed to get away from _her_. But as she continued to race through the trees, she began to feel her exhaustion take over. Her muscles cramping. Tripping over a root, her body gave in and she fell to the ground helplessly.

"Rebekah," the deep voice said more clearly.

She could see the bottom of the dark gown in front of her as she pushed herself up to see the woman standing before her.

"What do you want?" she cried.

"You can't run away from me, Rebekah," the woman said as she offered a hand.

Rebekah brushed it off and stood up herself. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Please, Dahlia. Please just let me go," she pleaded.

"My dear," Dahlia rested her hand on Rebekah's cheek, she tried to shrink away. "I told you I would when you did what I asked."

Rebekah flinched away and took a step back.

"I already told you. I won't do it."

"I don't think you understand, my niece," she said in a grave tone. "This is _not_ a request."

Rebekah shook her head frightened, "I can't do it, and I won't."

"You don't have a choice. You've already had a taste of my power and you won't be able to take it, not for long at least. You need me to take over," she insisted. "You either do as I say, or suffer the consequences."

The thought of the costs frightened her. After escaping death for countless centuries, Rebekah wasn't about ready to succumb to its grip. Rebekah Mikaelson doesn't die, she _lives_. She took a deep breath to calm herself before replying.

"I will never help you."

A small kink in her aunt's lip made her twinge with anger, as if she were mocking her.

"If you do this for me, I promise you the life you've always wanted."

Rebekah's face faltered at her words.

"To be human. That's what you want, right?" Dahlia searched her eyes. "And I can give you that and everything that comes with it. A normal life, with a normal job, with normal problems, and kids."

Dahlia moved towards her, cupping her face within her hands. She wiped away Rebekah's tears and pulled her into an embrace.

"Do this for me, and I will grant you everything you've ever wanted," she lowered her voice. "Refuse me, and you'll **_die_**."

* * *

The old witch stared back at them expressionless as Elijah explained their sister's predicament. All the while she never raised her voice or interrupted, she just sat silently, listening intently on what the older Mikaelson had to say.

When he had finished, the two brothers waited patiently for her response. Her eyes were closed, thinking.

"I haven't heard of such power since I was a young girl," she opened her eyes. There was a tinge of fear in them, "My grandmother used to tell me a story about a powerful witch that awakened every century to terrorize the earth."

Klaus scoffed, "I've lived several centuries and I have never heard such a story."

"Hush, brother, let her continue," Elijah silenced him. "Go on."

"Every century when she'd awaken, she'd walk the earth for a full year terrorizing anything in her path."

"But why?" Elijah asked.

"Some say she was looking for something, looking for _someone_," she went on. "It was said she could wipe out villages with the flick of her finger and incinerate an army with just the clench of her fists. She was the most powerful witch this world had ever seen."

Klaus chuckled.

"So tell me, Miss LaRue, what happened to this supposed all powerful witch," Klaus mocked.

"In 1692, she was taken down by two of the most powerful witch families of our time: the Geminis and the Bennetts."

Elijah and Klaus looked at each other knowingly at the familiar last name. They hadn't arrived on the shores of America until the seventeenth century, so it made sense to why they had never heard of this witch.

_Bennett_. That witch was becoming more and more interesting.

"How was she killed?" Elijah asked.

"She wasn't killed, you see, she couldn't be killed. She was immortal," she explained. "So they sent her to a somewhere she'd never be unable to escape. They call it: _The Oblivion_."

"The Oblivion," Klaus repeatedly skeptically.

"Yes. A world between life and death."

"So the Other Side?" Elijah questioned.

"No, Mister Mikaelson. It wasn't just a supernatural purgatory, it was a prison world designed specifically for her. There she would be unable to use any magic or find anyway of escape. She'd be stuck there forever."

"You speak as if her imprisonment is coming to a close."

"If what you told me is true, then I suspect that she's found a way to get out."

"But you said it yourself, there's no way she can escape," Klaus challenged.

Josephine looked down to her wrinkled hands, rubbing them nervously as the Mikaelsons observed her every move.

"There is only one way to get out," she said in a grave tone. "It would require an immense amount of magic from the outside world and the life of someone equal. To give life, you must take one."

The Mikaelson brothers looked back at each other, comprehending everything they had learned. Elijah stepped forward once more.

"Your stories are fascinating, Miss Larue," he started. "But what does this have to do with our sister?"

"I can only assume that your sister is serving as a vessel for her. And when the time comes that she has enough power, she will kill her," she said gravely.

"So is there no way to save her?"

"My only suggestion is you kill her before she kills the rest of us."

"That's not an option," Klaus growled angrily.

Josephine's eyes whipped back to the hybrid indignantly.

"So you'd rather have the rest of us die?" she retorted. "She will wreak havoc when she returns and she will show no mercy. So it's either she dies, or we do."

"What he means to say," Elijah tried to intervene, but Klaus cut him off.

"I can speak for myself, brother. She is our sister and killing her is off the table," he loomed over Josephine, his shadow casting over her. "Now I'm going to ask you again_, Miss LaRue_, how can we save our sister?"

She looked up to him defiantly.

"Nothing," she repeated in a low tone. "There is nothing you can do."

* * *

Bonnie sat back on the sofa with a towel draped over her wet clothes as she wrung water out of her hair. Since arriving back to the Salvatore boarding house, she hadn't said a word. Even as Kai sat on the couch directly across from her, keeping his gaze fixed on her, she refused to utter a word.

His brows were furrowed together, but not in the fury that he had shown earlier, but with annoyance. By now Bonnie figured that the crease on his forehead would remain permanent if he didn't relax his face. But he remained still in his seat, leaning forward on his elbows so his fingers were interlaced tightly together. His stare continued to bear into her.

When she reckoned she had dried herself as well as she could, she tightly wrapped the towel around her chest to hide the exposed dark skin and got up. She was still wearing her damp undergarments that she had swam in, a flimsy lace bra and underwear, and figured she should probably change into something more appropriate. Kai stopped her.

"And where do you think you're going?" his eyes followed her up.

Bonnie looked back at him irritated, "Why does it matter?"

"Because you're not allowed to leave my sight."

Her eyes grew fierce, "I am not your property. I can do whatever I want."

Kai jolted from his seat, "Not anymore, that privilege was lost when you went out there alone." She frowned at him. "If I hadn't been there, you would've been lost too."

"Don't act like you're some hero," Bonnie snarled. "So what if I went out alone? It's not like anything was going to get me. Remember? It's just _you_ and _me_ here, no one else!"

Kai began to pant in anger, "The point is, you could've died out there."

"Well, I didn't ask you to come save me!" she cried. "I didn't need you!"

"You were drowning!" he hissed. "You were drowning, so I saved you. And what's the thanks I get? Certainly not an explanation for your sudden desire to go skinny-dipping in the middle of the night!"

"That's none of your business," she mumbled.

"So there is a reason why you decided to leave," his voice calmed down. He walked closer towards her with prying eyes, "Why."

"I –" she paused trying to think of an excuse, something to satisfy his suspicions.

Kai took another step forward, "Sure, it's just you and me now. But for the past two decades it has been just me." Her heart began to pump wildly as he lifted his hand. But he just brushed away a sliver of water that dribbled down her cheek. "So how dare you try to get away from me like that and leave me here alone."

* * *

He walked past her and left the room. She watched him disappear behind the door frame before letting out a long sigh in relief. She'd have to be more careful around him when she spoke. There was no way he was going to let this go, and she knew he'd do whatever it took to get it out of her.

If he knew how to get out of here, she had no doubt in her mind he would do the same.

Jo sat in front of the bathroom mirror, leaning over the sink to apply her mascara. A small blot rested on her eyelid. Taking a Q-tip and wetting it with water, she brushed the blot off easily. She pulled back from the mirror to get a better look of her make-up.

_Perfect_, she thought.

Pulling the hair curlers from her black hair, she let them fall loosely to her shoulders. She grimaced. They were a little too bouncy for her taste. She brushed her fingers through each curl to loosen them, but they remained the same. She sighed. Rummaging through her bathroom drawers, she pulled out bobby pins and began to pin the top half of her hair back. At least this way she didn't look like some lady going through a midlife crisis, after all she was just going on a date.

Stepping away from the bathroom, she walked over to her bed where her red dress lay. It was a body con dress that would extenuate her every curve down over her knees with short sleeves that would end just above her elbows. She began to strip out of her pajamas, letting them fall to the ground as she picked up her dress. She moved towards her full body mirror holding the dress up over her. She tried to imagine what it would look like.

Dropping the dress to her side, she examined her body. There was a long cut that ran down from below her rib cage down to her hip bone. It was an unsettling reminder of the night her twin brother tried to gut her with a knife. All that remained was a thin pink line and the horrific memories that had traumatized her for years.

It had been over twenty-years since the incident and yet that night continued to haunt her. Sometimes she could still feel Kai's knife digging into her side and hear the screams of her little siblings.

She quickly turned her gaze away from the scar to her closet.

Clothes and hangers poked out from the side and columns of shoe boxes sat neatly in a row. Jo suddenly felt the desire to check on something.

Throwing the dress back onto her bed she went to her closet. Her heart began to beat faster, as if a drum was pounding in her chest. Pushing aside shoe boxes and folded clothes, she revealed a black metal safe. She fumbled with the dial turning it left and right. She first turned it right to the five, then spun it left until it reached the ten, then spun it right again to ninety-four. Her heart merely jumped at the sound of the click of the lock. Pulling on the lever, she opened the small metal box and froze.

It was empty.

She closed it and opened it again, half expecting it to magically appear in the safe. Shoving her hand into the safe, she groped at every corner, but pulled out empty-handed. She slammed the safe shut and began to viciously pull everything out of her closet. Shoes and clothing littered the floor as she frantically continued to dig everything out.

_Where was it?_

* * *

She felt a tap on her left shoulder, turning her head in that direction, she saw no one. She rolled her eyes and turned the other way.

"Damon," she muttered.

She was instantly greeted by the dark-haired Salvatore's toothy grin and enchanting blue eyes. He was dressed in his usual leather jacket and boots attire while she still wore her work uniform.

"That's me," he smiled.

It took all her strength not to smile in return. Wouldn't want him to think she was falling for his charm or anything, so she settled with an indifferent look on her face. Elena pulled him to the side of the hallway, so they'd be out of everyone's way.

"Did you bring it?" she asked as casually as possible.

"The Ascendent?" he looked away innocently. "No."

"Damon!" she smacked his arm. "You were supposed to bring it in tonight for the dinner! The full moon's tomorrow night and we need everything to save Bonnie."

"It's okay, Elena, it's okay. Calm down," he said resting his hands on her shoulder. "We've got the witch and we've got the blood. We just need the–"

"Ascendant," a voice said from behind.

Turning around a tall man with sandy brown hair stood behind them.

"Alaric," Elena said.

He had a grim look on his face as if he hadn't slept in days. A single vein settled on his tense forehead.

"Hey, buddy!" Damon extended his arms. "How've you bee–"

Just as the words left his lips, the professor's fist came sailing across his face swinging Damon's face to the side. Elena jumped back in surprise, letting out a yelp. Damon rubbed the side of his cheek with his hand. Turning back to him, a silent rage burning in his eyes.

"What the hell was that for?" he growled.

Alaric's expression remained the same, "That was for compelling me to steal from my girlfriend, you dickhead."

"Damon…" Elena muttered.

But Damon just curled his lip, "It was for Bonnie. We needed it to save Bonnie."

"And compelling me was your best idea?" he exclaimed. When Damon didn't respond, he shook his head, "I hope it was worth it."

Alaric roughly shoved something into Damon's chest and turned away, walking briskly towards the exit. Looking down at his chest, Damon held the metal contraption carefully in his palm. Its spinning gears and twisting levers were open as he held it up to the brunette.

"Well," he said. "I guess we can cross this off our 'To Do list.'"

* * *

Kol stood by his sister's doorway. He leaned against the wooden frame as he mindlessly stared at the woman who was supposedly inhabited by his baby sister. Although he had reluctantly agreed to stay behind and watch over Rebekah, he quickly began to regret his decision. He should be out planning his own schemes. He couldn't exactly do that while being cooped up in his brother's home babysitting.

He frowned and began to carelessly stroll through the halls of the compound.

It was just as he had remembered. The walls were still covered with the same painted canvases, the rooms were still lit with the same elaborate lanterns, and the house still exuberated the same luxurious age. Time hadn't faded the paint, nor did it wear down the bricks. It was as if time, itself, had refused to lay a finger on their home.

Their home? Since when did he refer to this place as _their_ home? It had been decades since he considered himself a part of this family, and it had been only a week since Klaus allowed him to rejoin them. But was that really enough time to consider them family again?

Kol shook his head defiantly.

Of course not. This was all a ruse. He knew it was. Him even being here was a ruse. He didn't come back to his family so they could rekindle their love because let's face it, that would never happen. He came back to protect himself behind his unkillable siblings. There was certainly no wrong in being on the winning side. But it wasn't just that. There was more.

He needed them to draw that Bennett witch out of Mystic Falls. Alone, he would've never been able to convince her to help him, but he figured she'd be a little more agreeing to come if one of her friends tagged along. He heard a certain Mystic Falls gang member was up for the challenge.

He chuckled to himself, when this was all over, he'd kill them.

Memories of his death flooded his mind. The piercing force of the stake plunging into his heart, the flames eating at his skin, helplessly collapsing to the ground so far from home. The thought left a bile taste in his mouth. He spat out in disgust.

What infuriated him the most was not the death itself, but how his "family" handled it. They did absolutely nothing. Not long after his death they went about their day without shedding him a tear or giving him a proper burial. Instead he had been thrown into a ditch by one of those damned Salvatores with only a wooden picket to mark his grave. It was insulting to say the least. Just the thought made him grow angrier. He began to storm through the house, tempted to rampage everything in his path. He headed towards Klaus' room, ready to tear it apart. But upon reaching the top of the stairs, he stopped.

Hayley stood in front of him looking bewildered. He looked at her irritated, waiting for her to move.

He would never get used to seeing her around, she seemed so… out of place. She was a child compared to the rest of them, a naïve child who hadn't lived even a quarter of their lifetimes. And yet her life was intertwined with theirs now, as if fate thought it would be funny to throw in another complication to their already troublesome family. But here she was, the mother of his brother's child. A newly made hybrid with several lifetimes ahead of her.

_Strange_, he thought.

When he realized she wasn't going to move, he lowered his eyes and saw that she was clinging protectively over her child. Hope. A funny name. You would think after reaching every corner of the earth and interacting in different cultures, his brother would've thought of a more creative name. But Hope. Really? Hope for what?

He still stood in front of the brunette annoyed.

He looked at the child curiously, this was the first time he had actually seen her. Moving closer towards her, he lifted his right hand slightly, pausing to see if it was okay with Hayley.

Taking a deep breath, she nervously nodded.

Hesitantly he brushed the child's cheek. It was so soft, like satin. He chuckled to himself the way the baby's big eyes stared peculiarly back at him. She was adorable, he'd give her that much. She reminded him of a time when he and his siblings got along, well, better than they do now.

He remembered when Heinrich was first born. He was incredibly chubby for a baby and whenever he'd try to gnaw on solid food with his toothless mouth, it always made him and Rebekah giggle. Heinrich would always get into things he shouldn't have, he'd chew on the hilt's of father's knives, play with their mother's scrolls, and sit dangerously close to the fire. He was a curious fellow.

But most of all he remembered how close him and his siblings had been. They had all loved Heinrich, and they all strived to ensure his happiness and agreed to stir him away from Mikael's temper tantrums. It was an unspoken rule amongst them, that they'd protect him at all costs, and it was that love for him that brought them together. Its shame it went all away.

Pulling his arm back slowly, he nodded towards Hayley. Turning back around, he headed downstairs and towards the gate entrance.

If only Heinrich was still alive today, would he be proud of what this family has become?

He pushed the thought aside from his mind, pushing the gate open. He stopped in his tracks. There was a man standing outside.

"Finn?"

Before he could do anything, a puff of smoke was blown into his face. Suddenly his eyes grew weary as he dizzily fell to the ground unconscious.

The man took a step forward, looking down at the fallen boy.

Finn grinned, "Hello, brother."

* * *

He remembered standing outside the extravagant mansion. The white columns that withheld the immensity of the three-story house. It was truly a sight to behold, but not nearly as beautiful as the brown-haired maiden that frolicked by the fountain.

_Katherine_, he smiled to himself.

She was beautiful beyond all measure. Her curly tresses tied with a purple ribbon, revealing her flawless complexion and deep brown eyes. She sat poised on the edge of the stone fountain, running her fingers elegantly in the clear water. Stefan joined her, his eyes still on her.

She looked up to Stefan, a smile gracing her lips.

"Good afternoon, Mister Salvatore," she said in her sweet voice.

Stefan smiled in return, "And to you, Miss Pierce."

"Any news from your brother?" she asked.

A twinge of jealously surged through him, but he wouldn't allow it to show, "Not that I've heard of."

She looked back down at the water, her hand now just resting.

"Do you think he's alive?" she asked softly.

"I don't know," he said just as quietly.

A servant came rushing towards them, her dress dragging against the gravel. Stefan looked up from her.

"Sir, Master Giuseppe wishes to speak with you in his office," the servant spoke.

Nodding, Stefan turned back to Katherine and said, "I'll see you at supper, Miss Pierce."

She nodded.

Getting up, Stefan followed the servant back into the house. Walking up the steps to the second floor, his boots clicked against the dark hard wood floor. When he had arrived, he stood outside the open door way and gave the frame a knock.

Without looking up, Giuseppe said, "Come in and close the door behind you."

Stefan obeyed, waiting for the click of the lock before lifting his hand from the knob. He glanced back at his father who was standing up in his button up and tie.

"One of the servants informed me that you wanted to speak with me," Stefan said.

Giuseppe nodded, "Yes, my son, I did."

Walking to a separate table, he poured himself a drink. He took a sip and looked out the window, the brown-haired maiden clearly in view at the front of the house.

"Did you hear the news? General Lee has marched his forces to Chancellorsville. They've been fighting the Union for two days straight now."

"So I have heard."

"I've received word that your brother is among them." Stefan looked up at him blankly, but he didn't respond. "The Union army is almost three times their size, it's a surprise that the Confederates are still at it. You would think they'd be overwhelmed by now."

"Yes, I suppose. But what does that have to do –"

"Don't interrupt me while I'm talking," Giuseppe said coldly.

Stefan pressed his lips together, "Yes, father."

Giuseppe turned back to him, his blue eyes staring back at him coolly.

"I needed to show you something," he began. "But I wanted to show you until after your brother had left."

He flinched at his words. Stefan knew his father had always held him at a higher regard, but it never failed to hurt him to hear him speak so lowly of his older brother. He shrugged it off.

"Did I ever tell you of how the Town Council came to be?"

"Yes, father," he answered. "It was created after you and the other Founding Families discovered the existence of vampires."

"And what was our purpose for creating this council?" Giuseppe challenged, pulling the glass back up to his lips, his eyes remaining on his son, waiting for an answer.

Stefan gulped nervously, "To kill the vampires."

"Yes, to kill the vampires," his father nodded in approval. "Now tell me. How do you kill a vampire?"

"Stake them, let them out during the day, or burn them."

"And how well do you think we've handled this, this vampire _infestation_?"

Stefan immediately thought of Katherine, her body still visible from the open window. He turned his eyes back to his father who still watched him wearily.

"I believe the Council has handled it adequately," he replied.

"Adequately," his father chuckled. "That's all we've done. All our hard work has just been _adequate_."

"I apologize, father, I did not mean to offend–"

"No, no, no, son," Giuseppe waved his hand. "You are absolutely right. Our job has been adequate. But it's certainly not enough." He stared back at Stefan and his tone grew low and grave, "I can feel it you know."

Stefan looked at him confused, "Feel what, father?"

His eyes grew wide with fear, "I can feel the eyes of those vampires watching me. I can feel their lust for my blood tingling on the back of my neck."

"I don't understand…"

"They're here," his father insisted. "I know they are. I just don't know which ones they are. For all I know, those demons are living under my roof!"

Stefan's hands grew heavy as they hung loosely to his sides, he could feel the heated sweat burning his fingers, but he refused to move from his position for fear his father might realize his secret.

"But don't you worry, son, this will all be over soon." Giuseppe pulled out a map of Mystic Falls and sprawled it over his desk. Stefan stepped forward to look. "You see, the Council and I have a little secret," he said in a low voice. "A little secret right under those little vampire shits' noses."

Stefan studied the map more closely, but saw nothing abnormal. He looked back up to father questionably.

"Well, what is it?"

Giuseppe's lower lip curled into a maniacal grin.

"A weapon."

* * *

**_RRRRIIINNNGGG!_**

The deafening tone of his phone pulled him from his daze. With his phone still pressed to his ear, Stefan could hear the phone ringing on the other line. He sat in his room. Although it lacked the luster of his previous one, it was simple and welcoming. He wore a dark grey baseball tee with dark washed jeans.

**_RRRRIIINNNGG-_**

There was a cut, a voice spoke, "Hello?"

"Hey, Matt, it's me, Stefan."

"Uh, hi," Matt sounded confused. "What's up?"

Stefan clenched his other hand nervously before responding, "I was wondering if you could do me a favor."

"Depends, I'm a little busy."

"Right. It won't take long, and I swear it's not dangerous," Stefan fumbled with his words. "I just need you and Jeremy to check on something for me."

Matt's eyebrow cocked up in curiosity, "Yeah, sure. What'd you want us to check on?"

Stefan paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully before continuing.

"Well, since the border is still up, I can't go to Mystic Falls myself," he explained. "So I just need you guys to go into the woods and check out this old place for me."

"Um," there was a pause. "Okay."

Stefan let out a sigh of relief, "Great. I'll send you the coordinates."

"Was there anything else you wanted us to do there besides check up on it?"

"No. Just tell me what it looks like."

Caroline walked to the doorway, knocking lightly on the already open door. Her hair was tied in a half pony tail as her curly locks dangled over her shoulders. She wore a beige cardigan over a white blouse and jeans.

"Sure," Matt replied. "I'll let you know what Jeremy and I find."

"Thank you," Stefan said before hanging up his phone, his eyes still fixed on the blonde vampire. "Caroline, come in."

"What was that for?" she asked entering the room, her brown knee high boots tapping against the wooden floor.

Stefan pulled his shoes from the bed and started to tie them on.

"It was just Matt."

"Oh, I see," she asked as she stood a few feet from him. "Did he call?"

"Not exactly," he replied. "I just needed to ask him and Jeremy to do me a little favor is all."

"What kind of favor?" she asked, sitting at the edge of the bed as he put his phone away.

"It's–" he paused. "I just wanted them to get something for me at the boarding house, since I can't go there myself anymore."

Caroline sighed, "Yeah, I get it. I had my mom pack all my clothes from my closet and send it to me so I had something to wear. It turns out you can't get by in college wearing the same five outfits."

Stefan let out a laugh, "Try wearing the same outfit for a century."

She turned back to him and giggled, "I can imagine that. You and Damon in leather jackets and boots in the 80s."

"More or less," he got up from his seat, moving across the room to put on his wrist watch. "But leather wasn't exactly '_in_' in the 60s and 70s."

"Then suits it was," Caroline said, joining him. She walked towards Stefan and brushed his hands away so she could fasten the buckle of the watch.

"Thank you," he said as he watched her tighten strap so it fit firmly on his wrist.

He looked down at her, taking in the sweet scent that enveloped her. As she pulled away, her curls bounced to the side of her shoulders. She looked up so her eyes met his. His brown eyes shined a golden amber under the light. And as he looked down at her, he swore he could see a trace of adoration in her blue ones, but it quickly faded away to sadness.

"Of course," she said letting go of his hand. She turned to leave and said softly, "We better get going. Everyone's waiting downstairs."

Just as she was turning away, the sun's rays hit her wrist, a shimmer of light radiating towards Stefan. He looked down at it in wonder as she continued to walk away.

"Hey, Caroline," he called to her. She turned to face him again curiously. "Where'd you get that bracelet?"

A silver bracelet with white rhinestones glimmered in a twisting pattern adorned her thin wrist. She pressed the tips of her fingers against the cold stones possessively as she had done many times before. A small smiled tugged on her lips.

"It was gift," she replied.

"From who, if you don't mind me asking?"

She looked down at the bracelet again and smiled.

"Just an old friend," she said simply.

She turned and left the room.

* * *

Liz stood in her office, looking through countless files in her cabinet and stacking them on her desk. Papers scattered the old wooden desk, while mounds of books inhabited the chairs. The room was dimly lit with only a single lamp, the windows' shades shut. It was nearly eight o'clock.

Liz sighed as she fingered through several cases involving "animal attacks". Pictures taken at the scene of the crime were neatly pinned with a single paperclip depicting various bite wounds and victims. It was odd to think that just a few years ago she had made it her life's work to hunt these supposed "animals" down, a responsibility that was involuntarily thrust upon her when her husband left.

For years she had tracked down vampires, steering them far away from her town, working with the Council to protect everyone. But whose sick joke was it to turn her only daughter into one of them?

She chuckled to herself.

It had taken months of getting used to the fact that her daughter was the very monster she hunted, and although she knew that she was the same Caroline from before, she still feared of what she was capable of. What she could do to others. But because she loved her daughter more than anything, she'd never let anyone hurt her.

But life is truly cruel.

Ever since she learned of her ailing sickness, she had to make some sacrifices, one of which being her job. After over a decade of service, she was finally going to hang up her badge. All that was really left was to clean up her office and wait for the inevitable.

Liz closed the file and put it on top of the others she had set on her desk. Shutting the cabinet, she slumped onto a chair staring up to the barren ceiling.

**_You will take my place as the Keeper and you will never tell her of what the Council has in their possession._**

The words echoed in her head, reminding her of her promise to her husband. Was she to withhold this promise even to the grave? Her days of being alive would fade away soon, and the secret with her. She was the Keeper. Without her, the secret would never be free.

**_Keep her from this as long as possible._**

She took a deep breath before releasing. Getting up from her seat, she gathered all the files she had pulled out and slung them in her arm. She walked out of the room and into the hallway where a couple of people stalked the halls carrying files and taking calls. She made her way to the front desk where an elder man sat typing on a computer.

He glanced at her and smiled, pulling away from the screen.

"Good evening, Miss Forbes," he greeted.

"Hello, John," she smiled in return.

"A little late to be in the office, don't you think? Everyone's back home or driving around the premises."

"Yeah, I suppose you're right," Liz said looking at the dark empty hallways.

"But that's to be expected of you. Always the last one to leave, Miss Forbes," he joked. "So what can I do for you ma'am?"

She hauled the files up to the desk, the pages slapping the surface. He looked at the stack in surprise.

"I need to file these in the archives, but I don't have the key."

John nodded, "It's only fit that your life's work be added to the annals." He reached below the desk and pulled out a lanyard of keys. Flipping through them one by one, he pulled out an old bronze key. He held it out to Liz, "Here. Take it."

Liz smiled gratefully, "Thanks, John."

She proceeded to take the files in her arms again.

"Did you need help carrying those?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine," she insisted.

She turned to leave. Once she was halfway down the hall, she could feel a pounding in her head. There was a sick feeling in her stomach that gripped her. With every step she found herself struggling to find balance. She stopped to lean up against a wall, hoping that world would stop turning, but the pounding only seemed to worsen. Just as she pushed herself from the wall to continue, she stumbled on her feet and fell to the ground, the files scattering on the floor.

She let out a wail, clutching her forehead.

John and one other worker scrambled towards her in a hurry. They knelt to her side, cradling her head.

"Liz! Liz! Answer me, Liz! Are you okay?"

But she made no response. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as her head lolled to the side.

"Someone call the ambulance now!"

* * *

The room was fairly dark, but the lamp sitting next to the bedside offered enough to reveal a maiden sleeping soundlessly in her bed. Finn cautiously moved towards her, closing the door behind him silently. He would not make the same mistake again as he did before, he had to be careful with this one. Although she looked sweet and innocent, he knew what she was capable of, what power she held.

He inched towards her until he stood just above her, listening to her breaths. He studied her features. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, little droplets of sweat resting on her forehead, and her mouth slightly open.

_What was wrong with her_, he wondered.

He shook his head. It wouldn't be long till Klaus and Elijah returned home from their trip, and he doubted they'd take their time once they saw their little brother passed out on the front gate. Lifting his hands, he hovered them over Rebekah. Closing his eyes he began to preach.

"_Ves matos los gatas mayas wou tola gas_," he murmured over and over again.

He placed his hands on her arm and was suddenly hit with a surge of magic, like a jolt of electricity was firing through his veins. It was excruciatingly sensational. He tried to scream, but he never found his voice. Suddenly he felt himself being plunged into a different world of darkness.

* * *

"Give me it!" Liv lunged forward trying to grab the metal contraption from the older Salvatore. Damon swung his arm away quickly with his inhumane speed.

"Nice try, witchy," Damon smirked gripping the Ascendant tighter.

The frizzled-haired blonde frowned at him, "You said you would give it to me. How else am I going to save your friend?"

"I did and I will," he said, tucking it away in his pocket. "I'll give it to you tomorrow when we actually perform the ritual." He leaned towards her, his smug grin growing. "And not a moment sooner."

She slouched back in her seat, letting out an exaggerated huff. She began to stab her fork into the romaine on her plate.

"So it's official, you guys are doing it tomorrow?" Caroline asked. "You're going to save Bonnie?"

"Yeah," Stefan nodded. "We're sending Damon in to get her."

"And that's the key to saving her?" she pointed towards the contraption now tucked away in Damon's jacket.

"Yeah, that and Bonnie's mom's blood," Elena explained. Caroline looked up at her questionably. "They need Bennet blood to activate the Ascendant because the prison world was made by both the Geminis and the Bennetts. Liv has been helping us out with the whole thing."

"You see, here's the plan, blondie," Damon turned to Caroline. "Blondie number two here is going to activate this contraption thingy and send me to Bonnie using her magical Mister Cuddles. I then kill Kai, save Bonnie, and then Liv will get us back home before Christmas."

Caroline looked back at him with doubt, "So this is what you guys have been planning this past week."

"Pretty much," Elena shrugged.

"Speaking of plans, what've you been up to?" Damon turned to Caroline. "We haven't seen you in a while. What gives?"

Caroline's eyes briefly met Elena's from across the table, but she quickly flicked them away.

"I've been spending time with my mom," she said simply.

Damon went to prod some more, but Elena nudged him to change the subject, but he was completely oblivious.

"It won't be as easy," Liv intruded. "The spell I'm using to send you to Bonnie, I mean." They all looked at her. "The Ascendant only works in one world at a time. Once I send you to the prison world, I can't bring you back. You have to find the other Ascendant in 1994 and use Bonnie to bring you guys back."

"Well, how do we know Bonnie will have the Ascendant?" Stefan asked.

"That's the thing," Liv said. "You don't."

"So you're telling me, I could be stuck in that retro-hell for another four months if I don't find that other Ascendant?" Damon gaped. She nodded. "Oh hell no."

"If you don't want to do it, Damon," Stefan resting a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go."

"We already discussed this, Stefan. If Damon can't go, I will," Elena insisted.

"No, no, no!" Damon cut between them. "I'm going to save Bonnie. We've already established that."

"You sure about this, Damon?" Stefan asked.

He nodded.

"I'm sure."

**_RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!_**

Caroline looked across the room to where her purse was sitting on the couch in the living room. Getting up, she headed towards it while everyone else continued to bicker.

**_RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!_**

Her phone rang again. Digging through her bag Caroline pulled out her phone and checked the caller ID. It read: Mystical Falls Hospital.

She glanced at Elena wearily.

"Who is it?" the brunette asked.

All eyes turned to her.

**_RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!_**

She shakily pressed her thumb against the answer button and held it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Is this Caroline Forbes?" a voice spoke on the other line.

"This is she."

"I need to speak to you about your mother."

* * *

It was like a thousand hammers were banging at his skull. He grasped his forehead, clutching the back of his head. He patiently waited for the agonizing pain to weaken before getting up. When it had become bearable, Finn observed his surroundings. He was in a dark forest. The ground was masked by a thick fog and filled with an endless array of pale tree trunks going in all directions.

"Hello, Finn," a deep voice called to him.

Finn spun around quickly, his eyes growing wide. A strange woman with raven black hair and a dark gown strode towards him. As she moved towards him, it looked as if she were gliding over the ground rather than walking. He took a step back.

"It's you again," he breathed.

A mysterious smile perked on her lips at his recognition. She nodded in affirmation.

"You're the one that told me about my brother's daughter."

"Indeed, I was," she grinned.

He looked at her confused for a moment, studying her every move as he tried to piece together what was happening. She had some of the features: the high cheek bones, a resonating deep voice, and sharp eyes. She was almost a spitting image of someone he knew.

"And you're the one possessing that girl," he barely said over a whisper.

"You mean your sister."

Finn looked at her astounded. His sister? It couldn't be. Was it?

"Rebekah…" he gasped. "You're possessing my little sister?"

Dahlia's grin grew, his suspicions appeased. Hesitantly, he inched closer.

"_Why_," he said. "I need to know why."

She smiled back at him mockingly as if he had asked a ridiculous question. But she voluntarily answered with ease.

"I need her."

"For what."

"To do something for me," she replied vaguely.

"Stop dodging the question," he growled irritated. "Tell me what you need her for."

The woman looked back at him with no response, a smirk still playing on her lips. She began to turn away from him.

"You're her, aren't you," he called out to her.

The woman stopped. She turned back to him, a bigger grin that stretched from ear-to-ear.

"Indeed, child, I am."

* * *

It was almost dark, the sun was setting just below the horizon by the time they had arrived at the location Stefan had sent them. Wearing a red flannel and hiking boots, Matt stepped into the clearing studying their surroundings. It wasn't much, just some old burned frames of what might've been a house of some sort and some bricks. Jeremy followed behind him in a sweater and a pair of sneakers. His long messy brown hair tied back with a head band.

He kicked at some of the burnt and rotting wood that was scattered on the floor.

"What's all this?" Jeremy asked.

Matt knelt down and picked up a piece. He twirled it in his fingers before setting it back down.

"It looks like it might've been from a very old house."

"How old?"

Jeremy surveyed the mold that had grown in between parts of the brick and wood.

"I don't know, might've been a hundred years ago for all we know," Matt shrugged.

They moved closer towards the remains of the infrastructure and took a step inside, skipping over the dangerously sharp protruding wood.

"Tell me again, why Stefan wanted us to check out this place?"

"He didn't say," Matt said without looking. He scanned the area for anything unusual. "You know how he is: always secretive."

"And yet here we are doing all the dirty work," Jeremy muttered annoyed.

Matt didn't respond, he began to push his foot against the loose floor boards and check gaping holes. Jeremy huffed and walked around the area, moving towards the back. He stopped when he saw a small crack in the wood below. Kneeling down, he yanked a chunk of the old wood away to reveal an endless abyss of darkness below. He peered down it curiously. Taking his phone, he used it as a flashlight to look in, but all he could see was the musk in the air. He frowned.

**_ RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!_**

"Hey, Matt," he called. "Get over here. I think you should check this out."

**_RRRRIIIIINNNNGGGG!_**

"Hold up," Matt started reaching for his phone. "I'm getting a call."

He stood up, pressing the answer button.

"Hello?"

A desperate voice spoke on the other line.

"Wait. Slow down, Caroline. What's going on?"

His eyes grew in horror as he listened to her speak. He turned and grabbed Jeremy's hood, dragging them away from the sight.

"Hey, what're you doing?" Jeremy whined.

"I'll be right there, Caroline," Matt said before hanging up.

"Dude," Jeremy broke free. "What gives?"

"We have to go now," Matt explained, "Caroline's mom was sent to the hospital."

* * *

Hayley shut the door behind her as she left Hope's room, silently slipping away. She let out a sigh of exhaustion as she ran her fingers through her hair, brushing it away from her face after a long day. Tomorrow she'd have to spend the day with Jackson, preparing for their wedding. Something about werewolf matrimony traditions of some sort. She began to walk down the hall until she reached the stairs and proceeded to descend them. She ran her fingers lightly over the rail until they touched wall, strumming them over the rugged surface. She circled the compound admiring the paintings on the wall until she came to a stop in front of the hallway leading to the gate.

A slit of light from the street lamps shined through a crack in the wooden gate.

"Hello?" she called out, but there was no response.

Looking back up to the closed door of her daughter's room, she turned to the open gate and began to inch towards it one step at a time.

"Is someone there?" she called out again. Still no response.

She continued down the dark hallway until she was only feet away from the exit. She could see a foot blocking the entrance, but it was motionless. As she neared closer, her eyes widened. Shifting the gate aside she found Kol unconscious on the floor.

"Kol!"

Hayley knelt to his side, shaking him. No response. She looked around if anyone was near, but there was no one. Wrapping her arms under his armpits, she dragged his body back into the compound and laid his back against the stone fountain. She checked his body for any injuries, but there were none, just a gush of blood oozing from his nose.

Suddenly there was a wail from upstairs. She jumped up.

"Who's there?" she screamed.

When there was no response again she booked it up the stairs to Hope's room, but when she opened the door there was no one there.

There was another wail.

Turning, she dashed to the other room, kicking the door open. She looked in horror when she saw a man huddled over Rebekah's body.

"Finn!"

He was folded on the ground, with his hands on his head. She rushed forward to attack, but he lifted his hand. A blast of air sent her flying across the room until she was slammed against the wall, leaving a small dent. As Finn pulled himself up, Hayley scrambled to block him from escaping.

"What the hell did you do to her?" she spat.

"Get out of my way. Get out of my way now!" he commanded and with a flick of his finger, Hayley was pushed to the other side of the room until she was jabbed by the dresser, her breath being knocked out.

Finn stumbled away, down the stairs and out of the compound.

Shoving her hand in to her tight jeans, Hayley pulled out her phone. As she fumbled with it, she dialed Klaus' number.

* * *

She remembered sitting on the steps outside of the Lockwood mansion, the sun setting as she over looked the grassy knoll. Caroline watched as workers and volunteers cleaned up the table decorations and flower arrangements she had worked so hard to put together. But she wasn't overcome with disappointment that it was over, only satisfaction that the pageant had been yet another success on her list of successfully planned events. She closed her eyes and listened to the band play one last soft tune.

She let out a sigh.

"You must be exhausted, sweetheart," a deep velvety voice called behind her.

Turning, Caroline turned to face the tall statured man that stood behind her with his curly blonde hair and sweet blue eyes.

"You try putting a pageant together in less than two weeks and then we can talk about being _exhausted_," she replied matter-a-factly.

Klaus chuckled lightly and extended a hand to her, "Allow me."

It only took a brief second for Caroline to decide to "reluctantly" take up his offer as he hoisted her up to her feet. In return she gave him a small, hesitant smile. She'd never get used to how gentle he was with her. She often found herself having to remind herself that this was same man who was capable of killing the people her friend's loved the most. But as he stood before her now, she found it difficult to see him as anything more than a charming gentlemen with a cute accent.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, love, but it is only courteous that the man escort his date safely back home before taking his leave?"

Caroline giggled at that.

"Yes, that's pretty spot on."

Klaus again lifted his bent arm to her, allowing her to comfortably wrap one arm around his as they strolled away from the festivities. Her heels clicked against the concrete of the driveway as they made their way to the parking lot. There weren't that many cars left, only a couple trucks for catering.

Stopping in his place, Klaus turned back to Caroline, "So you have two options." Caroline looked back at him curiously. "Either I can whisk you away in one of my cars or we can walk. I do believe your house is only a couple blocks away."

Caroline looked to the clear sky and back at Klaus several times. Although the sun was already setting, it left a golden glow shining over the tall grass and trees. Oddly enough, it was still warm out with a light breeze in the air.

"Let's walk," she replied. "Might as well enjoy this kind of weather while we still can. I mean how often do we get sun here in Virginia?"

He smiled.

"Very well then."

"But first."

Letting go of his arm, Caroline leaned down unstrapping the back of her black wedges and pulling them off her weary feet. Grabbing them by the back straps, she slung them over her fingers.

"If we're going to walk, I'm going to get these little demons off. They've been killing my feet for hours."

Klaus let out a laugh. They continued to walk down the driveway and out onto the side of the road. For a while they just walked side-by-side in comfortable silence, letting the chirping of birds fill their quietness.

Caroline glanced at him from the corner of her eye and saw the blissful smile on his lips. When his eyes flicked to hers, she quickly looked away. She didn't even need to look to know there was a big sloppy grin on his face now.

"Tell me a story," she said.

"About what, love?" he played along.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "Any story, really."

"I'm sorry, love, but you're going to have to be a little less vague than that."

She pursed her lips together. He was most definitely making fun of her.

"Fine," she paused to think. "Tell a story about…"

She squinted her eyes at Klaus as if looking at him would give her an idea, but he just stared back at her with his ever growing smirk.

"Aha!" she jeered. "I know. Tell me the story about the princess whose bracelet you stole."

He let out a soft chuckle, laughing to himself as Caroline looked back at him confused.

"What's so funny?" she asked.

"It's nothing, love," he said, although he had trouble trying to conceal his amusement.

She stopped in place. By the time he had noticed she had stopped walking, she already had her hands on her hips.

"Tell me," she insisted.

He turned back to her.

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

For a while they just exchanged looks, Caroline glaring at him like daggers and Klaus with smug grin, until she finally relented.

"Fine," she said defiantly as she walked past him. "But this story better be damn good."

He followed after her still smiling.

"There once was a princess that I met in the early fourteenth century," he began. "She was said to be the most beautiful woman in all of Great Britain for her long silvery blonde hair."

Caroline frowned at him unconvinced. _What was this? Some kind of bed time story?_

"They weren't wrong. She was beautiful."

She felt a pang of jealousy. Not that she cared. He did say she was _almost_ as beautiful as her.

"My siblings and I had the honor of living under her roof as noble men and women. I won't get too much into the details, but needless to say, she enjoyed our company," he continued. "Unlike most princesses that my siblings and I have encountered, this one was a little different. Aside from her dancing lessons and dress fittings, this one longed for adventure and thrill, so her royal duties as a princess seemed _tedious_ to her."

"When she became of age to marry, her father introduced her to many suitors. She turned every single one of them down," he went on. "The king grew so angry at his daughter's refusal that he forced her to accept a son from a neighboring kingdom's hand in marriage."

"On the night before the ceremony she begged us to stop the wedding, asking us to help her escape." Klaus' eyes briefly grazed hers as he said in a lowered voice. "So we obliged."

Caroline stared back at him.

"The morning of her wedding day, her servants found her with a slit throat."

Her eyes grew wide in surprise. She could feel the small hairs on the back her neck rise, but she wasn't afraid.

"Her father was devastated from his daughter's death. He sent her to be buried in the tombs alongside their ancestors in the family crypt," he explained. "And on that same night, we pulled the princess out of her tomb and fed her the King's blood to complete the transition."

Caroline gulped.

"We ransacked the castle, killing everyone in the Royal Family and all the noblemen. Last we saw of her, she was drinking the blood of her would-be husband. In his hand I found a silver bracelet with rhinestones that glistened even in darkness. She gave it to me as a token of her gratitude. Taking all the gold we could carry, we escaped before dawn."

_So this woman could still be alive then_, she thought.

It was nearly dark when they finally came across a familiar driveway in front of a two story white house. All the lights were turned off and not a sound creaked inside.

They walked up the faded brick steps to the black front deck in silence, until they faced the closed door. Caroline's eyes flicked to the side to glimpse at Klaus, but he looked just as awkward as her. She played with the ends of her dress nervously.

"So," she said, breaking the silence.

"So," Klaus repeated.

"Well, today was fun."

He smiled at the word 'fun'.

"Indeed, it was a pleasure," he replied.

_Pleasure_, she laughed to herself. _Did he always have to use fancy words?_

"You should probably go inside," Klaus said. "I know you're probably exhausted after today."

"Yeah," Caroline nodded slightly disappointed. She debated whether or not to move, but when she turned to leave, Klaus spoke again.

"Wait," he said softly, so quiet she almost didn't hear him.

She glanced back at him in wonder, seeing the sudden embarrassment on his face. She turned around to face him, urging him to go on. He opened his mouth and closed it as he thought about what he wanted to say. She looked curiously to his right hand that was tucked away in his pocket as if grasping something. He looked back up at her, wetting his raspberry lips before speaking.

"I have something for you," he said.

"Klaus," she said uneasily. "You don't have to. This isn't an actual date or anything, and we're not actually dating–"

She paused. The moment the words left her lips, she immediately regretted it. Of course it was a _date_. That was what she promised him in return for one of his hybrids. He dressed up for her, shared some drinks and laughs, and he even walked her home. If this wasn't a date, she didn't know what was.

She studied his expression for any sign of anger or remorse, but it revealed nothing. All she could see was his steely blue eyes staring directly back at hers.

"I know, sweetheart," he said plainly.

She felt a pang of guilt surge through her.

"But I'm not giving you this because I expect anything in return." He reached into his pocket. Caroline's breath was caught the moment she spotted the familiar deep blue velvet edge of a box come into view.

"Wait, Klaus," she tried to stop him, but he pulled the whole box fully out and firmly held it out in his hand. "Klau–"

She held her breath as he lifted the lid open to reveal the sparkling gems of a twisting silver bracelet that shimmered under the moon light. The simple, yet intricate design was a dead giveaway to what it was: the same bracelet he had given her on her birthday. As the gems shimmered in place, she couldn't help but stare admiringly at it. The bracelet from the story.

She was pulled from her daze when Klaus lifted it up to her.

_What was he doing_? Her mind screamed.

But more importantly, what the hell was she doing? She knew this date was a mistake. This whole thing was a mistake. This was probably just another way to make her fall for his whims and woos. As she stared back it him, she tried to remind herself of everything he had done.

_Slaughtered Katherine's whole family, killed Elena's real mom, sacrificed Aunt Jenna for his stupid hybrid curse, sired Tyler…_

As she tried to repeat those thoughts over and over again, she found it increasingly difficult to do so with his adoring gaze set on her. She could almost feel a sense of vulnerability in the way he looked at her, as if she could destroy him from the inside out.

Her mind went blank.

"May I?" he said softly.

She looked at him, still at a loss of words. She nodded.

"Once upon a time I remember you telling me that because my father didn't love me, I believed no one else would…" he murmured.

She felt the cold silver press against her skin as he rested it on her wrist.

"You said that was the reason why I compelled people, or I sired them, or I tried to buy them off…"

His fingers briefly brushed over her skin, sending shivers down her spine.

"You flat out told me that that's why I didn't connect with people…"

He moved his lands to the clip.

"Because I didn't even try…"

**_Clip!_**

He pulled his hands away to reveal it. Caroline looked down at the beautiful bracelet, its perfect little stones glimmering under the light.

"So I did."

Her eyes flicked back to his, seeing the honesty behind them and the underlying sadness mixed within. She opened her mouth to say something, but pressed her lips together unable to formulate words.

His eyes stared back at hers, searching for a response, but there was none. Just understanding.

"Thank you," she barely uttered.

He gave her a small smile in response.

"You have a good night, Caroline."

She turned away to open the door, but when she looked back, he was already gone.

* * *

Klaus and Elijah hurriedly headed back to New Orleans half expecting the compound to be filled with dead bodies. But upon entering the gate, they found Kol sitting upright on a seat and Hayley holding a sleeping Hope in her arms.

"Are you okay?" Klaus roughly grabbed his little brother's chin, studying his injuries.

Kol pulled his face away annoyed wiping the blood that had run down his nose.

"I'm fine," he muttered.

Elijah followed behind him.

"What did he do?" he asked.

"I don't know," Hayley replied. "It didn't look like he was going after Hope."

"Well, that's peculiar," Klaus growled.

"When I found him, he was hovering over Rebekah in some kind of trance," she explained.

Elijah turned to face Klaus, "Do you think he's trying to get Rebekah to spy on us?"

"I don't see how he can when our sister is in her current predicament."

Elijah nodded in agreement.

"And yet he would risk coming into our home to see her," he thought. "Why?"

"He wasn't trying to control me," a voice called from atop the stairs.

They all turned their eyes to the staircase.

"Rebekah."

Rebekah stood above in a daze, exhausted and worn down. She stumbled to walk down to join them. She stood next to her siblings, dark circles under her weary eyes.

"What did he do to you?" Klaus asked.

She turned her eyes to face him, "He tried to channel magic from me. Tried to take away what powers I have."

They looked at her in wonder.

"I felt it when he touched me, the power leaving my body," she coughed. "But he can't. If he does, we'll both die."

"How do you know this?"

"It's hard to explain, Elijah, but I can feel it. I can feel it in every fiber of my body."

"What do we do then?" Hayley asked panicked. "We can't just let her die!"

"Yes, I know that, Hayley," Klaus grumbled.

"Even if Finn doesn't try to get a hold of her magic, she'll die either way," Kol added.

"Well, what did you guys learn today from the witch?" the brunette asked.

"There's nothing we can do. There's a thousand-year-old witch just waiting to take over," Klaus explained. "And when she's powerful enough, she'll kill her."

"What," Hayley said breathlessly.

Rebekah turned her face away, tears beginning to well up in her eyes, her hands shaking nervously. Klaus gently grabbed her hand and held it firmly in his. She looked up to him.

"We're not going to let that happen," he said in a serious tone.

"But how," she stammered.

Klaus glanced to the side at Elijah who nodded approvingly. He turned back to face the red rims that encircled her eyes.

"We're going to kill you, before she does."

* * *

Caroline hung up the phone, and set it down on the table next to her. She sat nestled in the middle of the couch between her friends who hovered protectively around her. She let out a shaky breath in relief.

"So how's Liz doing?" asked Tyler who abandoned the side next to his girlfriend to comfort his friend.

"Matt says she's going to be fine. The doctors think it was just a minor relapse from probably overworking herself again."

Elena had one arm wrapped around her, rubbing her shoulder with ease, "That's good news, Care. Your mom's going to be okay."

"What's wrong with Liz?" Tyler looked between them curiously. "Is she really sick?"

Caroline choked out a tear at his words. Elena immediately pulled her closer so her head rested on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Care. It'll all be okay," she soothed, but Caroline shook her head.

"No, it's not okay," she blurted. "My mom is dying!"

The room grew tense.

"What did you say Caroline?" Stefan looked at her stunned.

She turned to Elena who nodded. Getting up from her seat, she moved to the front of the room to face her peers. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she straightened her blouse and took a deep breath.

"My mom has a grade IV tumor in her brain," she explained. "The doctors are unable to operate on it because it's so close to her spinal cord."

She paused to catch her breath, trying to stop the tears from flowing.

"So for the past few weeks, I've been taking my mom to the hospital for chemotherapy to prolong the process, but the doctors say she doesn't have that much time left."

Caroline waited for their response, but all she could feel was the pity being showered over her, the sad looks she was getting from everyone who knew. She could almost hear the chorus of apologies that would likely follow.

"My mom is dying from cancer," she bluntly said. "And there's no way to save her. At least no non-supernatural way to."

Their eyes grew in realization.

Tyler let out a gasp, "You don't mean–"

"Wait, Caroline–"

"I'm not ready for my mom to die," she stammered.

"Caroline," Stefan tried to intrude. "No one's ever ready for that to happen, but–"

"Stop, just stop right there," she hissed.

They grew quiet.

"When I think about my mom dying," she started. "My chest hurts like it's going to burst, and I can't breathe. I can't breathe because the thought of it brings me so much pain, pain that's too unbearable."

"But Caroline," Stefan tried again.

"I don't think I can handle that kind of pain," she went on. "Not for a second and certainly not for an eternity."

Stefan went to object again, but Damon rested his hand on his shoulder firmly. He looked down at him with knowing.

"I'm going to feed her my blood," she affirmed with wet tears leaving her eyes. "And none of you can stop me."

* * *

Finn looked outside the window deep in thought, watching as the last ferries boarded into the docks. The moon's shape shifting over the wavering black water.

"What did you find out, Mister Mikaelson?" the old crackled voice of the witch called behind him.

Without turning to face her he said, "It's as you said, Miss Larue."

Josephine nodded in understanding.

"You saw her," she said in low voice.

"I did," he turned. "She looks like my mother, but with darker hair and colder eyes."

"And?"

"She's channeling my sister's host body. I have no doubt in my mind she's using her as a hostage until she gets her real body back."

"But her body was burned years ago to ensure she'd never return," she said questionably.

Finn scoffed at that, "With the amount of magic she has. She could piece her body back together ash by ash with ease. That's the least of her worries. Do my brothers know that she's our aunt?"

"They haven't got a clue."

"Good."

Josephine cleared her throat, "So you know what needs to be done."

Finn stared back at her for a moment, but hesitantly nodded.

"My mother was right."

"I'm afraid she was."

Finn looked back out the window, the clouds covering the light of the moon.

"Dahlia is coming."

* * *

In a dark hospital room, Daniel slept soundlessly in his bed. The white sheets partially covering his torso, with his arms sprawled over it. The soft sound of the health monitor beeped continuously in a rhythmic pattern.

Slowly the beeps became more rapid, as if the patient were running a marathon. The beeping grew louder, more intense and demanding. Blood began to spit from his closed lips, oozing down his neck and chest. With another gush, Daniel awoke with a jolt. More blood spilling from his mouth. He choked it out, trying to free his lungs, but the blood continued to flow.

The beeping was incessant now. He let out a wail as he went to grasp his head. It was as if the cancer cells were congregating in the back of his head, slamming a bolt repeatedly. He wailed louder, digging his nails into the back of his head as if trying to tear it apart, but all it left was a rash.

He fumbled to press the nurse call button, but his bloodied fingers were too slippery to press it. He screamed as more blood dripped down his jaw. Tears began to fall from his eyes. He stumbled off the edge of the bed, slamming against the tiled floor. Dragging his body with only his arms, he moved for the door, desperately trying to reach for the door knob. He let out one last wail before completely collapsing.

* * *

**Okay. Okay. I'm here. I know. I know. I suck at updating. **

**I've been trying to cram in 5 seasons of Game of Thrones in one month and it's been hard. I got out of school about two weeks ago and I'm still lagging. Yes. I know. But yet again, I have outwitted myself once more. This is yet the longest chapter I've written! So BOOM. It may seem shorter just because the segments are more brief.. I feel like the more and more I write, the more my writing is more similar to screen writing techniques... whoops**

**What do you guys think of Klaus playing the piano? I think it makes him even more alluring lol. There was literally one episode in TVD when Klaus played the piano, but it was really brief and he was only using one hand. I just wanted to expand more on how artistic Klaus is. Plus I love to play piano and La Vien Rose just so happens to be one of my favorite songs. **

**I love including Katherine in any opportunity I get. Although her visit was short, expect more to come *wink***

**Anyways, I'll try to update faster since I'll be taking more classes next year (whoopee). Hopefully, I can get to the good parts before Fall Quarter starts. But speaking of which. **

**So it has come to my attention that many of you have grown tired of my story... my worst nightmare, I know. More specifically, tired of waiting for the Klaroline reunion. Yes. I know. I WANT THEM TO BE TOGETHER JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO BUT WE MUST WAIT. Don't hate me for prolonging the inevitable, because their reunion is INEVITABLE. I'm literally guaranteeing it. Just not right now (I swear I'm not Julie Plec). As I said before: I need to develope their storylines because as you can see, there are a shit ton of storylines I'm covering. But they all connect. Maybe you can predict them before I do? I try to indirectly give you Klaroline by providing Klaroline moments (such as today's KC Moment: following TVD s4e7 during their date and Klaus finally tells her about the princess he got the bracelet from. I decided to include it because the writers have yet to explain where he got it from. There's also speculation that Caroline might've worn it at ehr prom AND graduation, but who knows). I was hoping those kinds of things would satisfy your need till the INEVITABLE. If you need Klaroline now, go read a quick oneshot or some smut to relieve yourself, but this story certainly isn't going to be over soon. I'm still mapping out where things will go for each chapter. But expect things to pick up in three more chapters (so the equivalent to three weeks, that's assuming I keep updating on time). **

**I guess what I'm trying to say is: please be patient with me and this story. This story has turned out to be like my little fantasy of what TVD S6/TO S2 should've been. So I'll be covering a lot. This story isn't just about romance either. It's about adventure, and heart ache, and betrayal, and vampires, and murders, and so much more! EVERYTHING TVD USED TO BE ABOUT. *takes a deep breath* So I'm sorry if this story doesn't live up to what you hoped it would be, because frankly, I hope it doesn't. I hope it turns out to be nothing your expected because trust me, I have a whole line of plot twists just waiting to unfold. **

**UPDATES:**

**-Klaroline Awards are going on right now, I believe. For more details check out their blog on tumblr (literally just type "Klaroline Awards tumblr" and you'll find it) and nominate your favorite KCers for fanfics, manips, videos, etc.! Come join the fray!**

**-For those of you going to the San Diego Comic Con this week and attending the TVD/TO Panel, please PLEEEEEASE spam them with Klaroline questions (call them out on their empty promises especially Julie Plec who just said on twitter that Klaus and Caroline can't be together because Klaus killed Tyler's mom...which is totally irrelevant because of everything that happened after that episode *cough*cough*Caroline saying, "Anybody capable of love is capable of being saved" *cough* Caroline asked Klaus for a prom dress *cough* Caroline invited Klaus to her graduation *cough* .. idiots... I swear, do the writers even watch the show they're writing for?)**

**-Just finished S3 of Game of Thrones and I'm crying after the "Red Wedding" likew whhyyyyy...**

**As always... READ. REVIEW. SHARE.**

Chapter Question: In what ways did Klaus try to "connect" with Caroline?

**BYE GUYS.**


	15. Chapter 15 Revelations

**Hey klarophants,**

**I know... I literally haven't updated in forever. I tried to during the summer, but I guess I never got around to it... please enjoy and I'll continue my apology after you read. **

**Have at it...**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters.**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Revelations**

He remembered walking through a dark corridor with only a bleak lantern to light the way while his father walked a few steps ahead of him in a stiff stature. Stefan brushed his hand over the wall, feeling the dampness of the stone under his fingertips.

"For years our family has worked to create this passage," Giuseppe spoke, his voice echoing through the stone walls. "Your grandfather and I dug down here for years. Our blood, sweat, and tears are quite literally carved into these very walls."

"But why?" Stefan questioned. "Why build a passage?"

Giuseppe glanced back at his son. Although he couldn't see his face, Stefan could see the silhouette of his nose and cheeks, and the glimmer in his eyes exposed by the lantern.

"It's because she told us to," he said in a barely audible tone. Giuseppe turned to face straight forward as he continued to speak. "A few years back, when you were only three, your mother and I attended a Founder's Party at the Lockwood's. It was supposed to be a celebration commemorating the founding of Mystic Falls."

He paused and looked up. Stefan stared at him in wonder. They had stopped in front of an immense metal door with a large hatch on the side. Stefan's eyes immediately focused on the strange glow emitting from below the door.

"That night a witch came to us," Giuseppe went on. "She spoke of a great evil that would plague our town."

"Vampires," Stefan mumbled.

"Yes, Stefan. Vampires."

Giuseppe motioned him to try the lock, but when Stefan went to unlatch it, it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked?"

"Indeed it is," he grumbled.

"Why?"

"Because we don't have the key."

"Then who does?" Stefan asked confused.

"William does."

"So he carries the key to the locked door at the end of the passage our family built?" Stefan asked curiously.

"No," Giuseppe corrected. "The _Forbes_ family carries the key to the locked door at the end of the passage our family built."

Stefan's hand fell from the metal latch.

"But why?"

"They're the Keepers of the key, son."

* * *

Liz sat up on the hospital bed, letting her bare legs hang over the edge. She rubbed her palm over her forehead and let out a sigh. Tugging the needle cord from her arm, she pressed her feet against the cold floor as she walked towards the chair next to her where her clothes lay folded neatly. Loosening the knot from her hospital dress, she let it drop to the floor before slipping into a pair of jeans, a camisole and a cardigan. She tucked her wallet and keys in her pockets when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in," she said tiredly.

A pair of blue eyes peaked through the door.

"Matt," she smiled. "What a wonderful surprise. Come in."

Liz ushered him in, pulling the door open wider. The blonde looked back at her hesitantly as he entered the room, careful not to touch her, for fear she might break.

"I suppose Caroline sent you to check up on me."

"Yeah," Matt laughed nervously. "We got a call from her last night, so we came as soon as possible."

"We?"

"Oh, yeah. Jeremy's asleep in the waiting room."

"Ah, I see," Liz chuckled. "Well, thank you."

Matt nodded, "Of course, Sheriff."

"You don't have to call me that, Matt," she said. "I don't suppose I'll be a sheriff for very long."

"Uh, yes. Of course," Matt looked away sadly. "I guess you've been protecting our town for so long that I'm just kind of used to calling you that."

"Not very well if you ask me," she rested one hand on her elbow. "In the course of three years a vampire was able to manipulate his way into the Council, four people including my own daughter were turned into vampires, and almost everyone in the Council has been eradicated."

Matt turned to her concerned.

"This town has faced some of the craziest shit I've ever known and I doubt half the world has dealt with the things we've seen. This town has housed werewolves, faced the wrath of the Original family, and been taken over by traveling witches. I think it's had its fair share of death and resurrection." Matt moved closer to her. "My point is: you've done everything you can to protect people like us and those you love. It's not your fault that things got a little…_complicated_ here."

Liz laughed at that. She patted him on the shoulder.

"Thank you, Matt," she smiled. "I mean, really. Thank you."

Matt looked back at her with a shy toothy grin.

"Of course, Sheriff."

They started to walk towards the door.

"Is there anything I can do for you? I'm sure there are other things you'd rather do than babysit your friend's mother," she joked.

"Well, to be honest, I haven't had much to do besides training with the support crew," he admitted as they exited the room. "I was just outside, in the woods before coming here to check out an area for Stefan."

Liz glanced at him inquisitively.

"Where in the woods?" she asked.

"Just a couple miles from the border. There was this clearing with the burned remains of a mansion," he explained.

"Did Stefan mention why he wanted you to go there?"

"Not particularly," he shrugged. "He just wanted us to '_check it out_' for him. Why?"

"It's just… interesting that he should ask," she replied. "That's where the original Salvatore mansion stood."

Matt's eyes grew wide, but before he could ask Liz more about it, her phone began to ring. Pulling her phone from her pocket, she read the caller ID: Caroline Forbes.

"Excuse me, I have to take this."

She moved away from the blonde boy and pressed the answer button before holding it to her ear.

"Hello," she said.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Care. It's me," she smiled.

She could hear a sigh of relief coming from the other line.

"Are you okay? How're you doing? What did the doctor's say? What happened?"

"Yes, yes. I'm fine, honey," Liz assured her calmly. "I'm about to leave the hospital. It was just a minor relapse is all."

"Are you sure? It wasn't a bad reaction to the treatment or anything?" Caroline pushed.

"Caroline, I'm fine. I promise. I just need to get some rest."

There was a pause as Liz patiently waited for her daughter to reply.

"I never should've left you," Caroline said softly. "I should've taken care of you."

"No, honey, it was out of your hands. The doctor's warned us these relapses might happen along the way."

"But what if one day one of those relapses lead to your…" Caroline caught her breath. "The point is, I should've been there."

"It's okay, hon, there's no way you could cross the border," Liz tried to reassure her. "I can assure you I was very well taken care of."

"I just," there was a pause. "I just need to see you."

"Alright," Liz nodded. "If it'll make you happy, then I'll see you tonight. How about that?" When she didn't hear a response, she continued, "I can meet you at your dorm room or outside the border or–"

"Meet me at the park," Caroline said quickly. "The park outside the campus tonight."

"Alright, I'll see you then, hon," Liz hung up her phone. She gripped its edges for a moment longer before tucking it away in her back pocket. She began to head towards the entrance of the hospital.

* * *

The crinkling of leaves and the slosh of boots sinking into the damp mud filled her ears. Since her transformation, she'd never quite gotten used to the heightened senses that came with becoming a hybrid. But as she lazily followed behind Jackson, he didn't seem to mind the mess.

It was early morning and there was a chilly breeze in the air that whisked through the trees. Hayley and Jackson had departed New Orleans to trek through the bayou to begin what Jackson called the "Wolf Trials".

"Tell me again why we're out here in the middle of nowhere?" the brunette grumbled.

"I told you," Jackson replied calmly. "We can't just get married and call it good. We have to follow tradition if we want this to work. And tradition calls for the Wolf Trials in order to consummate our marriage."

"The '_Wolf Trials_'," she teased. "Sounds frightening. Should I be afraid?"

"No," he smiled back at her. "Only prepared. We will have to undergo several trials in order to not only strengthen our bonds as leaders of this pack, but also prove we are worthy of this task."

Hayley laughed nervously, "I guess they don't hand marriages out to anyone, do they?"

He chuckled, "Don't worry about it. You'll do fine."

They came to a clearing where three elders including Jackson's grandmother, Mary, stood waiting for them cloaked in robes. Jackson offered his hand to Hayley. She hesitantly grabbed it and joined him in front of the elders, feeling the light press of his fingers wrapping reassuringly around hers.

"Jackson. Hayley," Mary looked to both of them. "These are the elders of some of the oldest living wolf packs still alive. To my right is Logan from the Blue Moon Pack."

"It's an honor," Jackson bowed. Hayley did the same.

"No need for such actions, Jackson," an elder man with rugged silver hair and blue eyes gleamed. "I am like yourself. I do not deserve such honorifics."

"And to my left is Galen from the Lunar Moon Pack," Mary motioned towards a burly man with white and black hair, and olive green eyes.

Jackson bowed again.

"We are here to oversee that you two undergo the trials before matrimony," Logan spoke.

"And to witness the joining of two powerful families," Galen added in a deep voice.

"The two of you will undertake three trials that'll tug at the binds that hold you two together and challenge the beliefs you each have," Mary explained. "These trial are all for the sake of showing us and yourselves that you are ready to lead this pack together."

Hayley glanced over at Jackson who stared back at the elders with a frightening seriousness. Hayley looked back at them nervously.

"Do you, Jackson and Hayley, accept this challenge?"

"Yes."

The elders grinned in unison.

"Then let us begin."

* * *

The bustling sounds of new tourists and jazz music rung in Rebekah's ears as she leaned over the black metal railing to get a better look. Crowds of people flooded the streets moving from one attraction to the other whether it be the Simon Bolivar statue or the rows of flea markets along the sidewalks.

"Careful, you might fall."

Rebekah jumped back in surprise, but felt a hand hold her back, catching her. She whipped her head to the side and swatted her brother's shoulder.

"Don't do that, Elijah! You frightened me."

"Did I?" a glimmer of amusement twinkled in his brown eyes. "I assure you that was not my intent, sister. I had only hoped to save you from a terrible fall."

Rebekah pouted, turning back to the busy streets below.

"I know," she said softly. "I was just surprised, is all."

Elijah joined her on the metal railing.

"So how are you, sister?" he asked.

"I've been… better," she thrummed her fingers against the rail. "And you?"

"I suppose I've been better as well."

Rebekah looked back at him, sadness in her eyes at remembrance.

"Is it still bad?"

When he didn't respond, she turned away in understanding.

Of course it was still terrible. She could still remember walking into the diner with Hope, seeing piles of bodies tucked away in the back. It was frightening, and as someone who's seen many things, that was saying a lot.

"It's been weeks since Niklaus saved me from mother, and for weeks I've still had to battle this… this feeling inside me," Elijah explained wearily. "It haunts me, you know? It makes my hands shake and my blood boil. It feels like every nerve in my body is screaming. It's enough to make me go mad, and sometimes I don't know if I can control it… or if I'll ever be able to control it all."

Rebekah rested her hand on his back, rubbing it comfortingly.

"That's just what mother wants. She wants you to lose control. She wants you to succumb to it," she spoke. "Don't let her win."

"I know," he said bluntly. "It just doesn't make it any easier."

They stood in silence for a while.

"What about you?" Elijah asked. Rebekah looked at him. "What's it like when you…"

"When I'm being possessed," she finished.

Elijah pressed his lips together.

"Whenever _it_ happens," she gulped. "It's…it's like I lose myself completely."

Elijah stared back at her, but Rebekah's eyes remained straight ahead as if she were in a daze.

"It's like a burning pain surging through my body, as if my soul is being ripped from its consciousness," she turned back to Elijah. "I know this isn't my body. But it's the only one I've got right now."

Elijah nodded.

"Your uneasiness wouldn't, by chance, have anything to do with Klaus' plan to save you?" he inquired.

"Save?" she mocked. "I believe he said _kill_."

"Rebekah…"

Rebekah's eyes flicked back to the streets. When she didn't respond, Elijah rested his elbows over the black railing and leaned closer to her.

"Do you think it'll work?" she asked hesitantly.

"Honestly, sister," he sighed in defeat. "I don't know if it will."

She grew silent once more.

"You and me both," he went on. "We got the short end of the stick. We've been unfortunate enough to be cursed by magic. But I promise you, Rebekah, our brother is doing everything he can in his power to insure that you do not die. Niklaus would never allow that to happen to you. Never."

"I know he has good intentions, Elijah!" Rebekah cried. "But how do we know it'll work? How?"

Elijah grew silent.

"Say I do go through with Nik's plan. Say he does_ kill_ me. What if I don't come back? We already know that the Other Side has completely collapsed. The Bennet witch said it herself. If I die, where do I go? Straight to hell? What about everything I've ever wanted? What about what _I _want?"

Elijah wrapped his hand in hers, and held it firmly. He stared deep into hers and said in a confident tone, "We would rather go to hell and back before we see our sister sucked into oblivion. A thousand years ago we made a promise to each other, and though we've had our problems before, one thing has always remained same: that we will be together _always and forever_. You understand me, Rebekah?"

She stared back at him, seeing the sureness behind his words. She knew her brothers would always honor that promise no matter what, but it did little to ease her worry. She reluctantly nodded and slipped her hand out from Elijah's and left the balcony.

* * *

Klaus hurriedly walked through the streets. He wore a black tailored suit over a Catalina blue button up and black tie. His brother had convinced him if he had dressed up like a decent human being rather than a psycho-maniac killer they'd be more welcoming. But what did he care about their opinions? He was stronger and smarter than all of them. He'd kill them all if he had the chance. But the city needed a human faction to insure income from traveling tourists and locals.

As he trudged through, people subconsciously moved aside to make way, his destination finally coming into view.

Gallier Hall. A three story marble structure with two rows of fluted ionic columns designed in a Neoclassical Style. Klaus stopped just before the front steps to briefly admire the immensity of its architectural beauty. He marveled at its handiwork and solid frame. His moment of admiration waned when he was reminded of who waited inside.

Buttoning his cuffs, he straightened his tie and proceeded up the stairs into the large white doors.

The walls were painted in a bright Barcelona red, paintings old and new framed the walls as golden chandeliers hung from above. What was once New Orleans City Hall, was now a convention center open to the public for weddings, inaugurations, and events. But today it was empty, so the only sounds that could be heard were his shoes tapping against the black and white tiled floors. Passing several barren rooms, he turned down the hall until he was met with a large wooden double door. He could hear the voices inside before even pushing against the handle and entering.

All eyes turned to him, some filled with fear, others with annoyance. Klaus did his signature grin as he strode into the room full of several members.

"You're late," a man standing in the middle of the room stated.

He was an average sized man in his late forties. He had dark brown hair and amber eyes that never seemed to stray from seriousness even though the crow's feet suggested he smiled often. He wore a dark grey suit with a white button up and a lavender tie.

The other members in the room looked at him confused as they turned their heads between him and the unknown stranger at the door.

"Honey, who is this young man," a woman asked who stood not far from him.

The man rested his hand on her back reassuringly, but never turned his gaze from Klaus.

"You must be the man I spoke to on the phone," Klaus grinned. "Mayor Blanchard, I presume."

There was a twinge at the corner of the man's lips when he said this, as if he were amused. He settled with a forced smile before saying in a rich tone, "Please, call me Mitch."

"Very well, Mitch it is."

Mitch walked towards him and ushered him into the room, all eyes still fixed on Klaus. As they inched towards the front, one of the older members stood up blocking their way.

The man frowned, "Mayor Blanchard, who is this man? Is he even part of the–"

"Now, now, Mister Richards," Mitch patted his shoulder. "That is not how we treat our guests."

"But sir," Mister Richards pushed. "This is a private meeting. Uninvited outsiders are not permitted to–"

"But that's the thing, mate," Klaus cut in. "I'm not an outsider."

Mitch and Klaus pushed past him until they stood at the front of the room, Mister Richards still standing enraged in the center of the room.

"Ladies and gentlemen. May I introduce to you the founder of our great city and the oldest living vampire there is."

Their eyes grew wide in realization.

Mitch motioned his arms to the man next to him and said, "This is none other than the infamous Klaus Mikaelson."

Gasps filled the room in shock. Mitch turned back to Klaus.

"Mister Mikaelson–"

"Please, call me Klaus," the hybrid grinned.

"Yes, Klaus. Welcome," he moved away from the hybrid and towards his people. With his arms outstretched, they stood up in unison, their eyes fixated sternly on him. "This is the Faction."

* * *

"This here, as many of you have seen before, is a defibrillator," Jo motioned to her right. "Can someone tell me how to properly use it?"

The group of students remained silent. Liam, a young man with short brown hair, shot his hand up. Jo frowned at him and surveyed the other students for any answers, but many either stared back at her blankly or quickly turned their eyes away. Her eyes stopped at Elena who was typing something on her phone. When Elena glanced up and saw Jo staring back at her, she hastily shoved her phone in her pocket and straightened her posture, but Jo's eyes remained squinted at her in annoyance.

"Miss Gilbert."

Elena's shoulders sagged in defeat.

"Yes, Doctor Parker."

"Why don't you tell the group how to use a defibrillator," she said with a fake smile plastered her face. Elena's peers turned to face her. "Surely, you can explain to them how to use it. It's something you should've learned in high school."

"Of course, Doctor," Elena nodded. "Uh, you first turn on the AED where there will be a voice that gives commands or visuals to demonstrate proper procedures. You then attach one of the padded electrodes to the patient's bare chest and the other on the side of their abdomen. Letting the AED analyze, you only apply shock if needed. Other than that, you continue doing CPR to the patient until authorities arrive."

There was a twinge of irritation in Jo's smile as if there was an imaginary smug grin on Elena's face taunting her. She still hadn't fully forgiven Alaric for stealing the Ascendant. She had suspected he was the culprit when he didn't return any of her calls or emails. And now Elena, the girl he practically took care of, was standing in front of her with the most innocent looking face as if she didn't have a hand in any of it.

"You forgot to mention the most crucial part."

The brunette looked at her confused.

"Mister Davis, why don't you tell Elena what she missed?"

Elena turned to her side to see the haughtiness in Liam's face as he looked directly at her and said, "You must confirm the patient is in cardiac arrest by checking for breathing and any response to commands _before_ resorting to an AED."

"Thank you, Liam."

Elena rolled her eyes. _What did she ever see in him?_

"That's all for today, you may return to your stations and await further instructions. Make sure you check out with your designated shift manager before leaving today."

Jo flashed one last dirty glare at Elena before walking away.

_What's her problem_, she thought.

Just as her white lab coat disappeared behind a door, Elena began to rush in the opposite direction. She walked through several hallways and took many turns before finally reaching the room. Unlike the day before, the hallway was empty. Elena moved towards the last room where she could see a dim light through the partially closed shades. She knocked lightly on the door.

"Daniel?" she called out, but there was no reply. She knocked again, but this time pushed the door open as she called his name again. Still no reply.

As she took a step inside, she gasped in horror. Blood stained the bed sheets, smeared all over the floor. Slamming the door behind her, she frantically searched the room. As she turned around, she found Daniel with his face buried in one of the nurse's neck. Their eyes met. His eyes bright red and ravenous.

"What happened to you…" she said under her breath.

"Your friend did this to me," he growled as he dropped the unconscious body to the ground. "It's her fault, isn't it?"

Elena took a step back.

"I don't understand. You were doing just fine yesterda–"

"I thought so too," he cried. "But the next thing I know, I'm coughing up blood and my head is pounding! And now I have this insatiable desire to feed on blood. Human blood!"

"It's going to be okay, you're going to be okay," the brunette tried to calm him.

She stretched out her hands in front of her as she inched towards him. She hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders and steered him to sit down on the bed.

Daniel looked down at the nurse guiltily.

"I didn't mean to hurt her," he shook his head. "I was just hungry and my head was hurting so much and…"

"Sssh ssh ssh," she hushed him. Elena moved to the nurse and checked her pulse. She was still breathing. She sighed in relief. "She's going to be okay."

Lifting her head up, she nipped into her wrist until blood flowed freely from the wound and then pressed it to the nurse's parted lips. When the nurse's eyes opened, Elena looked into them and compelled.

"You will remember nothing. You will clean this room up and burn all evidence of blood. Daniel Jacobson was fine and left to return to the marines as planned."

The nurse nodded in a daze.

Elena looked down at the messy bite on her neck and cringed. Going to one of the drawers, she pulled out a Band-Aid and handed it to the nurse.

"Put this on your wound. It was a hair curling accident."

The nurse nodded and left the room.

Elena turned back to the troubled man..

"My head, it still hurts," Daniel pressed his hands to the back of his head as if trying to claw it off. "It hurts so much!"

"What's wrong?" Elena checked for injuries, and found a giant welt on the back of his head. Daniel clawed at it.

"Stop don't touch it!" she instructed, but he continued to pry at it.

He began to cough profusely. It started out dry and hoarse until blood started to spew out of his mouth. Daniel heaved, clutching his chest.

"I can't breathe!" he panted. "I can't breathe."

"Just calm down, I'll get some help!"

Elena pulled out her phone and started dialing Stefan's number, but Daniel viciously shook her and screamed, "I need blood! I need blood now!"

Elena shook her head, "No, Daniel, please! It'll just make it worse! You're going to hurt someone!"

"No! You're wrong!" he yelled. "It made it better, even if for a little while. I feel like I'm dying all over again. I need blood now!"

"No, Daniel! Don't!"

Daniel roughly shoved her against the wall, knocking her breath out. As she choked to get back up, Daniel dashed out of the room.

"No!" she screamed, but he had already left the room.

* * *

Kol woke up with a start, banging the back of his head against the headboard. He groaned as he slumped lazily against it, caressing his head with his hand. Swinging his legs over the bed, he pushed himself off until his feet landed firmly on the ground. Getting up, he rubbed his nose with his bare arm, but stopped when he felt somethings hot and wet touching his skin. Pulling his arm back, he looked down at his arm. He blinked several times in confusion as the blur in his eyes finally focused to see the red blood smeared down his arm.

He wiped at his nose again. More blood. Running to the mirror by his dresser, he took a good look at himself and was taken aback. There was dry blood going all the way down his neck and onto his T-shirt. Fresh blood still slowly oozed from his nostrils.

When he looked even closer he saw that his face was almost completely drained of blood. He shook his head, turning away from the mirror in fright. He jammed his toe against the foot of the bed and cursed as he limped his way to bathroom connected to his room. Slamming the door behind him, he quickly washed the blood away from his arm and face. Just as he was wiping off his hands with a hand towel, he stopped and stared down at the carving engraved in his skin.

It looked something like a twisted triangle with a circle that touched every point. His shaking fingers ran over the symbol in horror. He slammed his hand against the wall, and gripped the sink angrily.

He had been hexed and he knew who was responsible. He had seen that symbol many times before, but couldn't recall its meaning. But judging by the blood, it only meant one thing.

**Death.**

* * *

"Why're we back here exactly?" the young Gilbert asked.

Matt and Jeremy trudged through the remains of the Salvatore house once more.

"Because Stefan wanted us to check this place out," Matt replied.

Jeremy sighed and leaned against the stone statue at the entry way as the blonde searched through the area.

"But we did… yesterday," Jeremy grumbled.

Matt frowned at Jeremy.

"Look, I know we checked it out yesterday, Jer," Matt walked back to him. "But the Sheriff said that this place used to be where the original Salvatore Mansion stood."

"And?"

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why Stefan wanted us to come here?"

"It's a place that he holds dear to and he just wanted us to make sure it was still fine."

Matt scoffed, "Barely. Look at this place. It's a dump! There's got to be another reason why he wanted us to check on it because when I was talking to him on the phone last night, he seemed relieved when I said it looked 'Fine' as if we had missed something."

Jeremy stared back at him blankly. Matt shook his head and walked back to the site, looking for anything hidden under the ash, rubble, and leaves, but everything seemed to mesh together buried in the dirt.

"Well, there was one thing I found last time," Jeremy called out. Matt looked back at him, as Jeremy joined him. "Follow me."

Jeremy walked over the loose floorboards that had long since decomposed into the earth as he moved towards the back of the infrastructure. Moving aside the floor board he had pulled aside the night before, he pointed down to what he had discovered. Matt moved to his other side and looked down at the gaping hole below.

"What the hell…" he said under his breath.

"Do you think it leads somewhere?"

Matt glanced back at Jeremy.

"Well, there's only one way to find out."

Jeremy gulped, but nodded.

Grabbing the loose floorboard, Matt threw it down the hole, waiting for it to crash into the ground. It didn't take long before they heard the hard slap of the wood against the wet stone below. They looked at each other.

"I'll go down first, and let you know if it's safe," Matt offered.

He swung his legs so that they dangled into the dark pit, before pushing himself into the gaping hole. The sound of his boots crashing into the wet ground was assurance enough that he was safe.

"You can come down now, Jer," Matt called from below. "It's not that bad."

"Alright, look out below," Jeremy called back.

Doing the same, he braced himself for impact as he fell in. His legs shivered from the impact, but he stood firmly on the ground.

"Nice," Matt said in the darkness. "Here."

Jeremy felt something nudge him in the side, he grabbed it. It was the wooden floorboard.

"Do you have a lighter?" Matt asked.

"Yeah."

Jeremy fished his old lighter out of his pocket and flicked the trigger until a bright orange flame sparked. He pressed its end against the wooden floor board, until it ignited a glow. Matt stood in front of him still carrying his pack.

"Let's go," he simply said and walked ahead.

It wasn't long till the light from the gaping hole above blurred away as they continued down the dark path.

* * *

Hayley sat nervously on the wooden chair, her leg shaking restlessly under the old table while Jackson sat calmly across from her. Her eyes darted from one corner of the room to the other, from the window to the rug, to the kitchen sink to the door. Jackson rested his hand on hers from across the table. Her eyes quickly flicked towards him and for a brief, moment he could see the fear in her eyes. He gave her hand a light squeeze before Mary came back to the dining table carrying a ceramic pot with dirt and a mound of leaves and stems tied together in the center. Hayley quickly pulled her hand away.

Lighting a match, she pressed its tip on the leaves until smoke began to emit. Hayley looked at the old woman worriedly.

"Don't worry, child," she smiled. "It's only sage. It's part of the ritual. Once you've inhaled enough of the herb, you will speak freely and all your secrets will be revealed."

"Oh," Hayley said under her breath.

She could feel her nerves going haywire again. Probably a side-effect from becoming a hybrid.

_Damn these vampire bipolar hormones_, she thought.

"Alright, now close your eyes," Mary instructed.

Hayley looked back at Jackson from across the table, he nodded and slowly shut his. Hayley did the same, taking a deep breath.

"Just relax and let the herb's fumes do all the work."

* * *

The red walls seemed to brighten as the chandeliers' glow lit up the dim room. Paintings covered one side of the room, while the other was lined with floor to roof windows where creamy ivory curtains draped over the sills.

The members sat at their designated tables, eyes all fixed on the hybrid with deadly scrutiny. Klaus sat smugly in his seat next to the mayor who had spoken on his behalf for his proposition to the Faction. Questions and discussion were now being heard.

A stout man with a receding hair line and a curly beard stood up.

"Yes, Mister Lemoine," Mitch nodded to him. "What would you like to say?"

"With all due respect, Mayor Blanchard. But wasn't this the same man who murdered the last Faction?"

The man jumped at the sight of Klaus' eyes flicking towards him.

Mitch glanced to his side at the dangerous monster that sat next to him, and faced Mister Lemoine again.

"Yes, he is," he replied simply.

Murmurs and whispers filled the room.

The man's face grew bright red with what Klaus couldn't decipher as fear and embarrassment or pure rage. Either way, the man looked like a fool.

"Then how do we know he won't do the same for us?" he demanded. "For all we know, he could be planning our deaths as we speak!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Lemoine. Mister Mikaelson has assured us that he only wishes to ensure that the vampires and humans continue to live peacefully together."

"And what good has that done for us?" he exclaimed. "You guys have seen the posts all over the streets. There have been over a dozen missing people cases in the last month alone, not excluding locals!"

"Mister Mikaelson says he had no hand in them."

Mister Lemoine sneered, "Oh really, and what about the witch massacre at the Fauline Cottage? Did he have no hand in that matter either?"

The mayor turned back to the man next to him.

"Well?"

"It wasn't my doing. The culprits are two vampires I knew from my hometown," the hybrid simply stated.

"Oh, so he let his little vampire buddies come into town to do his dirty work for him," he spat.

"I wouldn't exactly call them _buddies_."

"The point is many of us," the stout man motioned to his peers. "Are worried about our well-beings. Yes, the Faction has agreed to turn away when animal attacks occur, but that was with a different vampire. Not an original. How can we live in unity when one faction overpowers the other?"

Many of the members nodded in agreement.

Mitch went to speak, but Klaus patted him on the back and stood up instead.

"You're right to be afraid, as you should be," he began. "But there is a greater power that threatens not only me, but also you."

Klaus reached his hand into his jacket and pulled out the map. He opened it up so they could see the clearly marked triangles on it.

"What is it? Witch craft?" one member asked.

"Indeed, it is," Klaus walked closer to them. "This, here, is an Expression Triangle. It's used by witches who practice another form of magic called Expression. Expression Triangles are used by witches who wish to harness a vast amount of power. In order to complete an Expression Triangle, there has to be three massacres."

He pointed to the Fauline Cottage.

"Twelve witches killed by my vampire _buddies_."

He moved his index finger across the map to the Simon Bolivar statue.

"Twelve werewolves killed by my brother."

The members gasped.

"If the pattern continues, the last massacre will either be completed in the French Quarter in my very own home or across the Mississippi River in Algiers. And the only faction left are, oh, would you look at that… the last massacre they need would be the humans."

Many of the members turned to each other in shock at the news.

"If your lot dies, mine does too," Klaus explained. "So believe me when I say, I will do everything in my power to ensure that you and your people do not die. If that means having my vampires patrol the streets at night for any suspicious activities, then consider it done. If that means holding more of these bloody meetings to discuss matters, then so be it."

"Shouldn't we be trying to stop the culprit?" a woman stood up. "We can start with every witch in the French Quarter, and move on to the rest of New Orleans."

"No," Klaus shook his head. "If the witches find out that there's a way to kill us all, they'll all try to complete that triangle. It's out of the question. We have to be discrete."

"We could ban the practice of magic," another offered.

"Absolutely not, we'd be shaking our alliance with Miss LaRue and the other witches," the mayor added. "We simply cannot do that."

"Then what do we do? Sit snugly and wait for the end?"

"I have it under control," Klaus stated.  
"How?" Mitch looked towards him.

"I know a witch."

"You're kidding me right, we're trying to stop the witches, not advocate for their cause…"

"She's from my…hometown," Klaus went on. "She's had experience with this type of magic. She may be able to help us."

"And if she can't?"

Klaus looked back at Mitch and then to the rest of the council. It was strange, it was almost as if they were depending on him to save the day. Although their faces didn't hide the terror they had for him, he could almost see a glimmer of hope in their eyes.

But he turned away and said in a low tone, "If she can't help us, then we're all doomed."

He remembered their old home. It was one of many. It was a castle with smooth, dark wooden walls. Dark red curtains hung over the large windows and the rooms were illuminated by thousands of candles.

That night, Klaus was out dealing with some business with the neighboring witches that he planned to use for the ritual to free him of his curse now that he had the doppelganger. He figured his brother wouldn't mind if he kept her company, after all, it was only proper to entertain their guests.

He hurried down the hall through the corridor until he finally came to the room. He knocked lightly on the wooden door.

"Come in," a voice called from the other side.

He pressed his fingers against the door lock and opened it slowly to see the beautiful brunette's hair fall in curls over her shoulders as she brushed them mindlessly.

She looked up to greet him and smiled, "Lord Elijah." She put down the brush and got up from her vanity mirror to bow politely. "What a pleasant surprise."

Elijah smiled back.

"Apologies, Katerina. I didn't mean to interrupt you while you were settling in."

"Oh no apology needed, I was just brushing my hair."

"Dinner will be served shortly, may I escort you?" he asked.

"That is very kind of you, Lord Elijah. I will get dressed swiftly and be out in just a moment," she blushed.

"Here," he handed her a dressed. "This is for you to wear."

Katerina lifted the dress from his arms and held it out in front of her. She ran her fingers over the tightly knot seems and soft linen, admiring the fine work.

"It's gorgeous," she beamed. "I can't possibly where this, its–"

"Consider it a welcoming gift, Miss Katerina. As an honored guest in the Mikaelson Castle, it is only fitting that you dress the part."

She looked back and forth between the handsome man outside her door and the magnificent dress that was now in her possession. She nodded and set the dress on the bed.

Elijah closed the door behind him pleased that she liked his gift. He waited in the hall way until the door finally opened. He turned to look.

Katerina stepped outside of the room in the deep red dress. Its ends fell neatly over her feet and dragged against the floor. White lace peaked from the V-cut on her bosom and lined her sleeves and shoulders. Layers of ivory and gold were draped over by the red cover while her hair was half-braided so that her long hair fell to her hips.

"So what do you think?" she asked hesitantly, pressing her arms to her sides.

He looked her over in adoration and smiled, "You look beautiful, Katerina."

She blushed and tried to hide her gleaming smile.

Elijah held out his hand for her to grab, "May I?"

"Yes, you may."

She lightly grasped his hand as he escorted her to the dining room. Not once did his eyes linger away from her beauty.

* * *

The metal gate clanked against the stone wall as Kol pushed his way through into the cemetery. After passing several tombs, he stopped to rest, woozily grasping onto a stone ledge. He breathed heavily and brought his hand to his lips. Looking down at his hand, he saw the fresh blood that now stained them.

"You look terrible," a voice called.

Kol looked up to see his older brother sitting smugly atop a tombstone and frowned.

"You got a little something," Finn motioned to his lips.

"What the hell did you do to me," he growled.

"Word of advice, next time you want to spend some brotherly time together, don't beat up my wolves because now they're just itching to kill you."

"I said, what the hell did you do to me?" Kol cried. "Why is this happening to me?"

"Isn't it obvious," Finn grinned. "I hexed you."

"But why," Kol demanded angrily. "Why did you hex me?"

"Well, why not?" Finn leaped from his seat, his feet landing squarely on the ground. "Hasn't centuries of being a vampire been enough?"

"I'm dying, Finn…"  
"I know," Finn grasped his shoulders. "You can finally be freed of this miserable body and rest in peace."

Kol shivered and shook his head desperately, "I don't want to die." Tears began to well from his sunken eyes, spilling down his pale cheeks. "Please, Finn. I don't want to die."

Finn's face grew to a scowl as he looked down at his brother.

"You chose death the moment you sided with Klaus," he spat.

Letting go, Finn walked away leaving Kol to fall to his knees.

"I never understood why you, and Elijah, and Rebekah always sided with Klaus," Finn sneered. "It didn't matter if he killed your lover, daggered you for a hundred years, or hurt you in some other way. You three always came back for more. I began to think you guys actually liked being in pain."

Finn continued to pace around the cemetery.

"Pain. That's all that comes with Klaus. But you knew that already," he faced Kol. "Between the three of you, the innocent little sister and the loyal older brother. I'd bet you're probably the one Klaus dislikes the most. I mean, how could he not? You're secretive, conniving, and always changing sides. I bet it just pained you to see that you'd never be a part of their '_always and forever'_ triangle."

"Finn…"

"Is that why you betrayed mother and I?" Finn scowled. "Is that why you let them turn mother into a monster? Because you wanted to feel 'a part of the family'? News flash, brother, we are your family!"

"Finn, I–"

"You're what? You're sorry?" Finn mocked. "Well, it's a little too late for that now, brother."

"I… I'm going to stop him," Kol struggled to let out.

"What?"

"I ha-have a plan to st-stop Klau–"

"Save your breath," Finn shook his head. "You don't have long anyways."

Finn turned to leave, but Kol gasped the bottom of his leg weakly.

"No, Finn. I ha-have a plan. Just remove this he-hex and I can tell you it."

Finn glowered over him, looking down at the pathetic shell of a man that lay before him, desperately clinging to his leg.

"I have a plan too, brother," Finn knelt down next to him. "You want to know what it is?"

Kol tightened his grip on Finn's leg, grasping the ends of his pants.

"I'm going to kill Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, and you," he jabbed his finger at him.

Finn got up, kicking away Kol's hand and began to walk away.

He called back, "This is good-bye, brother. See you in hell."

The gate closed.

* * *

The room was lit with several candles scattered around the room. A circle of salt sat in the middle of the floor where Liv, Tyler, Stefan, and Damon were gathered. Liv sat outside the circle chanting to herself with her eyes closed. When she had finished, she stood up.

"Okay, Damon, you stand here," she instructed, pointing inside the circle.

"Yes, ma'am," he said taking a step inside the circle.

"Here's the Bennett blood," she handed him a vial of the red substance. He rolled it in his fingers. "Do you have the Ascendant?"

Damon reached inside his leather jacket and pulled out the metal contraption, "Wah-lah. One Ascendant ready to go."

"So remember, I can only hold the spell for 30 minutes. If you don't get to Bonnie before that, you two are on your own. You'll have to find the other Ascendant in order to come back. Oh and take this," she threw him Bonnie's stuffed animal. "She's going to need that to get you guys home."

"Blood, doo-hickey thing, and teddy bear. Check, check, and check. Let's get this show on the road!"

"Hey Damon."

Damon turned to face Stefan.

"You be safe out there, okay."

"I'm touched, brother," he teased.

Stefan smiled, "But seriously, Damon. I've still got an eternity of misery left with you."

"And don't you forget it," he winked.

He turned back to the witch.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Born ready."

As Liv began to chant, Damon opened the vial and started to pour the blood over the Ascendant.

"_**Les matos vos motos ray lee phastos mos ketos**_," she repeated with her arms outstretched and her eyes closed.

Slowly the gears of the Ascendant begun to turn, opening up the contraption with soft ticks. It began to glow until the light fully engulfed him and he was gone.

Elena came barging into the room out of breath.

"Stefan!" she exclaimed.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he looked at her worriedly.

"We-we have to stop Caroline," she insisted.

"Why? What's going to happen?

"If she feeds Liz her blood, she will _die_!"

* * *

Klaus exited the room with a little skip in his step. Satisfied with what he had accomplished he began to loosen his tie and unbutton his collar.

The Faction had agreed to bump up security patrols on the streets around areas that had a higher witch population and granted Klaus permission to allow those patrols to be joined with at least one or two members from Jackson's pack. In return for their cooperation, Klaus vowed to protect them at all costs as long as they played by his rules.

Obviously this upset many of the members, but after coming to a reluctant, but mutual consensus, they agreed that "his way was probably the best way". Hence, the smug grin on his face.

But just as he was turning into another corridor, a squad of men stood in his way.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't leave," one of them said.

Klaus looked at them annoyed and eyed each one of them. They were all dressed in uniform wearing collared dark blue shirts, with black cargo pants, and their weapons slung over each shoulder.

"And pray thee, why not?" he asked haughtily.

"We're going to have to ask you stay back, sir."

But Klaus refused to move. He cocked his chin. His eyes flicked from one man to the other. There were seven of them. He looked to their weapons. Wooden bullets and stakes.

_They know. _

He growled and lurched forward.

Gun shots echoed throughout the narrow hallway as Klaus jumped from one man to the other. He kicked one man across the room until he crashed against the wall. A wooden bullet grazed his shoulder as he turned to take down his attacker. The poor lad made four more shots and ran out of bullets before he could even get another shot in him. Klaus grabbed his head and roughly twisted it until it snapped. Two of them grabbed Klaus by the arm to hold him down while another tried to stake him, but Klaus threw them at each other.

Before he could lunge forward, they shot at his chest and right arm. Klaus barked in annoyance. Reeling towards the first man, he dug his teeth into his neck and shoved his body into his partner, the stake falling from his hands. The two of them fell to the floort, trying to scramble away. But Klaus rested his foot firmly on top of them keeping him in place, and dug the stake through both of them, pining them to the ground.

Just as another was coming to stake him from behind, Klaus twisted swiftly with his right arm extended until the man's head was cleanly cut from his body.

Cracking his knuckles and plucking the wooden bullets from his flesh, he moved towards the remaining attacker. He licked the blood that covered his hand before tugging the man up from his collar.

"What's your name kid?" he asked.

"Dane," the man sputtered out.

"Okay, Dane. Now why don't you tell me who sent you," he grabbed his shaking hand. He tried to pull away, but Klaus had a firm grasp on it.

"Go to hell, demon scum."

Klaus sighed, and pulled the handkerchief from his pocket and wiped it away.

"Bad choice, Dane."

Klaus wrapped his hands over Dane's nose and mouth so that he couldn't breathe. Dane flailed his arms and kicked his legs trying to move Klaus' hands.

"Let's try this again, Dane," Klaus said releasing his hands. Dane coughed and heaved for air. "Who sent you?"

"Fuck you," he cursed.

Klaus snarled and went to wrap his hands around his face again, but Dane stopped.

"No wait, wait!" he pleaded.

"Who sent you!" Klaus sneered impatiently.

"The Council, the Council sent me!" he cried.

"Why."

"They want you dead!"

Klaus could hear hurrying footsteps moving from across the hall way until the mayor and the rest of the Faction stood before him. Many of them gasped or turned away.

"My God…" the mayor looked down at the bodies, then at Klaus. "What happened here?"

But Klaus didn't turn to face him. He stared despondent at the man next to him who had his hands clinging to his sleeves. He could hear his accelerated heart beat and could see the fear in his wide eyes.

"Please, don't kill me," the man whimpered. "Please don't."

"Klaus," the mayor inched towards him. "Klaus, who is that."

The man continued to beg for his life, but Klaus couldn't hear a word he said. All he could feel was the ever growing rage that was burning within him, as if a hammer was pounding in his skull. He slowly moved his hands to Dane's neck, curling his fingers around it.

"No, no. Please don't. Please," the man begged. "I have a family and two kids back home. Please don't ki–"

_**Snap!**_

His body fell limp in his arms. Klaus rolled his body off him and got up, a scowl on his face.

"Klaus, what happened?" Mitch tried again. "Who are these people?"

"I was hoping you could tell me that, mate," Klaus said as he stepped over the bodies. His eyes briefly glanced at the rest of the Faction, making them flinch. "Mind telling me why that man just told me that the council sent them to kill me."

"The Council... the…" The mayor's eyes grew wide as he turned back to his colleagues and back to the angry hybrid. "Are you sure that's what he said?"

"I may be old, but my hearing is impeccable."

The mayor stood there thinking in worry, but jumped back when Klaus took another step forward.

"And here I thought things were going so smoothly," Klaus' lips formed a thin line.

"Wait, you misunderstand," the mayor held his hands out. "He's not referring to us, the council."  
"Oh, please, enlighten me then as to who he was referring to," Klaus moved forward. "Because as far as I can understand, the only guilty council I see is yours."

"I assure you, Mister Mikaelson, we are not the council you should be concerned about."

"Is that so."

"Yes," the mayor nodded. "There's another council that presides over us. A council that our ancestors worked with for years before Marcel."

Klaus stood only a foot away from the Mayor. He loomed over him, but didn't advance.

"Go on," he challenged.

"They lead all the councils around the country, they have been for decades now," the mayor explained. "They're called _The Council_."

* * *

Damon felt the familiar press of the cement push against the soles of his boots. He was standing just outside the border of Mystic Falls where the road stood between the golden fields around him. The old, worn down sign stood to the right with its paint faded and wood chipping. For a while he stood there staring at the border that separated him and his home.

He carried Bonnie's bear in one arm and hesitantly reached his hand over the invisible barrier. He cringed and waited for the sting.

Nothing.

He pulled his arm back and then took a hesitant step inside.

Still nothing.

He sighed in relief and walked past the border satisfied. Taking out his phone, he called his home phone hoping she'd answer. The phone rang on the other line as he waited patiently.

The voice mail came on:

"_Hi, it's Bonnie!" _

"…_and Damon."_

"_Sorry we couldn't reach your call. But please leave us your message and we'll be sure to call you back!"_

"_That's assuming there's anyone out there who'd actually call us…"_

"_Oh, shut up, Damon."_

_** BEEEEEEP!**_

"Hey, Bonbon. It's me, Damon. I'm probably the last person you want to see right now, but please call me as soon as your get this message," he paused. "I'm taking you home."

He tucked his phone away and looked towards the open road determined. He grinned and rushed towards the town.

Bonnie stirred from her seat, feeling the cold touch of the leather covering press on her cheeks. The quiet hum of the engine rang in her ears as the soft bumps slowly woke her. Opening her eyes, she faced a window, the road dizzily passing by. She suddenly shot up in her seat.

"Where the hell am I?"

"We're twenty minutes away from Norfolk."

Bonnie flipped her head to face Kai who had his eyes focused on the road.

"Why… where are we going?" she asked confused.

"The airport, of course," he replied bluntly.

"But why?"  
"We're going home."

Bonnie froze, her eyes searching the car for her backpack in a panic. When they returned to Kai, he was already looking back at her glumly.

"We're going to Nova Scotia," Kai pulled out her marked map from under his seat. "But I suppose you already knew that."

* * *

He remembered walking with her. Ever since that first night he escorted her to the dining hall, he made it a point to show her around every chance he got. He'd show her around town, let her play with the livestock in the stable, and show her some of the secret corridors within the castle. With Klaus always out getting things ready for the ritual, it seemed only right that he, Elijah, take the initiative to entertain their guest for fear she might find out the truth.

"So where to this time?" the brown-haired maiden beamed.

"You'll see it," he replied. "At the top of the hill just around that, corner you'll see–"

"A garden!" Katerina smiled as she rushed forward.

She ran past him until she was completely immersed under the trees that surrounded her. Elijah chuckled to himself and rejoined her under the rows of small trees.

She inhaled with her eyes closed letting the sweet scent of the air fill her lungs in satisfaction.

"What are they?" she asked as she pressed the leaves in her hands.

The trees had a fairly thin trunk with long skinny branches that twisted in every direction. Small white petals and green leaves engulfed the branches, while little red clusters of fruit sagged from the ends.

Katerina reached to pick one. Elijah easily plucked one and held it out to her.

"It is a cherry tree," he said simply.

"A cherry tree," she repeated as she rolled the ball of fruit in her palm curiously.

"It is said to represent beauty and immortality in some places."

"Is that so, my lord," she said in wonder, softly pinching the fruit in her fingers.

"So it is said. But it is rather strange to think considering the tree's blossoms die shortly after blooming," he said looking down at the scattered white petals that covered the dirt. "Have you ever had a cherry, Katerina?"

Katerina pressed the cherry to her lips and nibbled a piece of it before pursing her lips. She looked at Elijah confused.

Elijah chuckled, "That would be the seed, Katerina."

She flipped her head from side-to-side trying to find a place to get rid of the seed, but there was nowhere she could without him seeing. She turned to him frantically, pointing at her lips.

Elijah sighed with a grin on his face, he handed her a handkerchief and turned around so she could spit without him looking.

"Forgive me, my lord," she confessed. "I did not realize there was a seed and–"

Elijah raised his hand to stop her.

"It is quite alright, Miss Katerina. It was just a cherry," he smiled.

She blushed and turned away from him.

Elijah moved forward and gently took the handkerchief from her hands, his fingers only subtly brushing past them before taking the cloth. Katerina froze in place and looked at him questionably. He raised the handkerchief in his hand and lightly dabbed the side of her lips where some of the cherry's juice had settled. He pulled the handkerchief away, while his eyes slowly lingered to her parted lips.

They looked so soft and warm.

He took another step forward until he was only inches away from her face. He could feel a hunger growing in him, a longing to have a taste of those pink lips. He shivered at the thought of what he'd do to have a taste. She pressed her lips together as she studied his haunting eyes.

He could slowly feel himself losing to the hunger as the edges of his eyes grew red and the dark veins pushed from under. He quickly turned his face away before she could see it.

"We should get going," he said bluntly. "I can show you the view from atop the hill if you would like, Katerina."

"Mm," she nodded still studying him curiously.

He walked ahead while she followed closely beside him. They walked in silence.

"Do you want to play a game, my lord?" Katerina turned to him hesitantly.

"A game?" Elijah cocked an eyebrow inquisitively, "What game do you propose?"

"Well, I do not know the exact name," she explained. "But from what I can gather, if you're _it_ you have to catch the other person, so then they're it."

He looked at her confused, "I don't believe I'll be much good at this ga–"

Katerina lightly nudged him.

"You're it," she giggled and ran away.

"I'm what? Wait!" he chased after her.

He remembered running through the rows of trees chasing after that beautiful girl with the long curly brown hair. He remembered only seeing the bottom of her dress trail against the floor before turning into a different corner. He remembered chasing her through the garden, the woodchips and dirt padding against his feet as he ran along the small stone wall. But most of all, he remembered her laugh. The simple ring that made him smile like a fool.

"You have to chase me," she giggled.

He took a few slow steps before coming to subtle stop behind to admire her beauty as she ran ahead. She slowed down and turned back to him.

"You're meant to catch me," she teased.

"But if I catch you, the game will be over," Elijah raised his arms.

She smiled to herself and let out a sigh.

"Thank you for entertaining me," she beamed.

"You looked lonely inside," he looked at her mischievously. "I took pity on you."

Katerina's mouth fell agape at his jest as he looked away innocently. She looked to the ground.

"Klaus promised to spend the day with me," she said solemnly taking a seat on the stone bench. "But he never returned home from the night."

"Klaus does not live by any rules but his own."

"He's a very charming man," she said looking out into the distance. "Hard for anyone to resist, I suppose."

Elijah looked at her questionably.

He knew she was for Klaus, and Klaus alone, but something inside him burned with desire to be with her even if he knew it was wrong.

He hesitantly asked, "And yet…"

Katerina shook her head before facing him again.

"I know not why he courts me."

She paused.

"He seems to not care about me at all."

Elijah crossed his arms nervously.

Well, of course Klaus cared about her. Just not in the way she wanted him to. To Klaus, she was an essential component for freeing himself and nothing more.

"Many a union has been built on much less," he replied.

She glanced back at him with longing and he couldn't help but feel guilty for being a part of his brother's plan.

"Is it wrong to want more?" she said.

Uncrossing his arms, he took a seat next to her.

"Do you have more with Trevor?"

She shook her head.

"Trevor believes that he loves me. But, true love is not real unless it's returned," she tilted her head curiously at him. "Do you agree?"

Elijah's gaze remained on the ground as he thought sadly of his past, all the betrayal and loss he had faced for the sake of this so called love. His eyes flickered back to hers.  
"I do not believe in love, Katerina."

She looked back at him in surprise.

"That is too sad for me to accept, my lord."

It was as if the darkness in his eyes were crying out to her, flooding with centuries of grief and sorrow.

"Life is too cruel," she continued.

He listened intently at her words.

"If we cease to believe in love," she went on. "Why would we want to live?"

Elijah smiled at her words. Her sweet, innocent, but naïve words that were so full of hope for love. A love that he never knew. If only she knew she wouldn't live long enough to find that kind of love.

Not with him at least.

* * *

The familiar creak in the wooden door brought him an odd sense of satisfaction as he walked into the boarding house. Damon took in a deep breath of the old musky smell before letting out a loud sigh.

As he shut the door behind him he couldn't help but holler, "Honey, I'm home!"

There was no response.

"Hmm," he thought to himself.

He began to scour each room.

The living room was in a mess: books were scattered on the table and floor, while old clothes and blankets were thrown onto the couches. Checking the kitchen he saw the sink filled with dishes and the table set for one. He quickly checked the other rooms, but they all seemed completely untouched.

He slowly walked down stairs until he was standing in front of the fireplace.

_Where could she be?_

He thought about waiting it out until she came back, but the spell connecting him with Liv would be probably be over by then. If he was going to come back alive with Bonnie, they'd need to find the other Ascendant and get the fuck out before Kai found them. But he couldn't figure out where she might go.

Damon eyed the books spewed all over the floor and began to flip through them. Reading through them, they referenced a wide range of topics from how to tie magic to a totem, how to manipulate spells so they use less energy, or how to unhinge a magical tether. None of it made sense. Why would Bonnie be looking through this stuff if she got rid of her magic months ago?

He threw the last of the books into a sloppy pile and groaned. Time was ticking, and every minute he wasted here felt like an eternity. He slumped onto the couch before sitting back up. It seemed oddly uneven. He frowned and dug his arm into the cushions until he pulled out a notebook.

What was this? Some kind of princess and the pea trick?

He frowned as he flipped through the notebook in his hands. He immediately recognized it as Bonnie's handwriting. He decided to skip to the last entry.

It read:

_Dear Diary,_

_ The dreams are becoming more real. Every night I feel like everything is becoming clearer, as if she's pulling me to the truth. I know what she wants me to do and I know that it's probably the right thing to do. But I can't bring myself to do it. I'd be betraying my friends and everyone I love…_

_ It's been five months since I've been sent to this prison and I hate it. I absolutely hate it. I need to get out. I need to be free. Kai's been restless lately and I fear he'll find out the truth. I fear he'll find out that I found a way to leave. _

_ My ticket home is waiting for me on an island in a deep, dark cave that I have long forgotten…_

Damon dropped the dairy and raced out the door, grabbing the bear on his way out.

_I never thought I'd ever come back there, but I see now it's my only hope…_

He ran into the driveway to find his blue 1969 Camaro waiting for him. Reaching under the car, he pulled the keys from below where he always hid them and unlocked the car.

_I'll need to do this without Kai knowing because I can't bring him with me. He needs to stay here. This prison was made for him…_

He revved up the engine, letting the car roar into life.

_I think it's about time I go back to Nova Scotia…_

Damon drove out of the driveway and onto the road.

_I think it's about time I go back home… - B_

* * *

Walking up the steps of the narrow stairway, she felt an uneasy feeling building up in the pit of her stomach threatening to implode. She knew it was probably unwise to leave their home, but she couldn't stand to stay inside the confines of her brother's house.

Poor Elijah, stuck at home alone with Hope. It wouldn't be long before he'd realize his sister had left, but by then it would be too late. Too late to stop her from doing what she needed to do. She felt a pang of guilt surge through her already upset stomach.

It felt wrong to do this. But she felt that she had no other options. If she followed through with Klaus' plan, she feared death was waiting around the corner. If she was back in her vampire body, she'd be a little more willing. But due to her current situation, her life expectancy wasn't looking to good.

She stood in front of the painted wooden door and lightly knocked.

"Coming!" a voice called from inside.

They'd forgive her right? I mean, they did say "always and forever".

The door opened partially to reveal a confused blonde.

"Can I help you?" Camille asked looking at the strange woman in front of her door.

She gave her a small smile.

"I know this might be hard to believe right now," she began. "But it's me. Rebekah."

The blonde's eyes grew wide in realization.

"Rebekah? Is it really you?"

Rebekah nodded.

Camille opened the door wider and ushered her in.

"Come, come in."

* * *

"We were having a bonfire out by the lake," Jackson began.

His eyes were open, but he didn't stare at anything in particular and his face showed no emotion.

Despite the amount of herbs, they inhaled, Hayley still stared back at him knowingly. Although her mind would fade in and out, but she could hear his words loud and clear as if the truth was screaming above everything else.

"We were having a couple of beers, playing some drinking games. Y'know, the kind of stupid things that teenagers do because they're young, naïve, and just looking for fun," he went on. "We were drunk. Man, we were so drunk. And one of the other boys decided to pick a fight with Oli because he had been eyeing his girlfriend or something."

Hayley stared at his dazed brown eyes. She could feel it. The anger he felt for that night. She could feel his rage even before he finished his story.

"They started ganging up on Oli, shoving him," he said. "Grabbing him by the arms and punching him in the gut. I had to stop them. He was spitting blood everywhere."

He paused, his glazed eyes shifting slightly to look directly at Hayley's. She caught her breath.

"I didn't mean to kill them."

Hayley nodded.

"I didn't mean to kill them," he repeated. "I pushed. That's all I did, I pushed the guy away and tripped over the log and fell… he fell," he said more confidently. "He fell and he hit his head."

His fists were clenched and shaking on his lap.

"But I didn't kill him."

Hayley stared back at him, unable to formulate words. Looking into his eyes she saw the pain and guilt in his eyes, the years of torment it must've haunted him since that day. The moment he looked away, she was suddenly pulled back to her state of daze. Mary walked over and rubbed Jackson's shoulder.

"Very good, Jackson," she said. She looked up to Hayley. "Miss Marshall."

Hayley's eyes flicked to Jackson's grandmother nervously.

"Why don't you share how you triggered your curse?"

* * *

Caroline stood under the lamp light, her boots nuzzling the cement. The sun was slowly setting in the distance where spews of pinks and oranges streaked through the sky overhead. She had turned off her phone long ago because she didn't want any distractions or any lingering thoughts. She had made up her mind. She was going to do this. She had to.

"Caroline," said a soft voice.

Caroline turned to face Liz. She was dressed in a grey sweatshirt, jeans, and a pair of sneakers. She looked thinner, her cheek bones protruding more than usual. Just the look of her made Caroline upst. She ran up and hugged her mother.

"Is something wrong, hon?" Liz asked as she uncertainly hugged Caroline back.

Caroline shook her head as she held onto her tighter.

"Everything's wrong."

"You're being silly, Caroline," Liz chuckled. "Not everything's wrong."

Caroline pulled away and Liz could see the tears in her eyes. Liz looked at her sadly.

"Oh honey," she placed her hand on Caroline's shoulder. "What's wrong? Really, what is it?"

They moved to a nearby bench, and Caroline positioned herself to face Liz. She pulled Liz's hands in hers.

"After what happened yesterday," she started. "I've been thinking–"

"Caroline, hon, I can assure you. I'm fine. It was just a minor–"

"Yes, I understand that and I don't care if it was just some minor relapse or whatever. That's not the problem," Caroline explained. "It doesn't matter if you have two, three, four more of those and still come back alive."

Liz looked at her confused. "Caroline, I don't–"

"It's not the minor relapses that are bothering me, nor the fact that the medication isn't helping you." Caroline paused. "What's bothering me the most is that even if the medication works, even if the treatments help and even if you survive to live another three months…it's never going to change that at some point or another, I'm going to lose my mom."

Liz went to open her mouth to say something, but pressed them back together. She could see the helpless in Caroline's eyes as she stared back at her and couldn't find the words to tell her it was going to be okay because in all reality, was it really okay?

"The truth is, I'm selfish," Caroline said. "I'm so selfish. Some kids aren't even lucky enough to have known their mother or to have one that loves them so much, but I am. I have you and I'm selfish."

"Caroline…"

"And it's because I'm selfish that I don't ever want to lose you," she went on, tears slowly beginning to gather in her eyes. "Because if I did, I don't know what I'd do. I want you to be there for when I graduate college and when I nail my first job. I want you to be there when I move into my first apartment and when I get engaged. I want you to be there when I get married, walking me down the aisle. I want you there for it all. I _need_ you there–"

Liz pulled her into a hug as Caroline sobbed into her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Caroline," Liz cried softly. "I'm so, so sorry, hon."

Liz held onto her tightly, letting Caroline's fingers curl around her back as she clung to her desperately as if trying to grab every ounce of life that was leaving her body.

Caroline gathered herself once more, wiping the remaining tears from rolling down her cheek and reached into her pocket. She looked down hesitantly into her hand before clasping her fingers around it. She glanced back up at her mother.

"I want you to live," she said. "I want you to live for _me_. So you can keep being with _me_. So you can be here for all those things. I'm not ready to lose my mom, to be honest, I don't think I ever will be. But I need you alive, so…"

She pressed her clasped hand into Liz's, revealing a glass vial containing her blood.

"Please take this," Caroline urged. "It's the only thing that's going to heal you. After the blood leaves your system, you'll be just as new. You can go back to working at the station and you won't have to go to the hospital."

Liz turned the vial in her fingers.

"Please take it," Caroline pleaded.

Liz looked back up to her daughter with the same longing. She nodded.

"I don't want to die either, hon," she admitted, a tear still in her eye. "But I'm afraid."

Caroline nodded.

"I'm afraid too, mom."

Liz glanced back down at the vial. She pressed her fingers around the edge of the black stopper and loosened it. The smell of her own blood filled Caroline's sense as she waited tentatively for her mom to drink it.

"I promise," Caroline said. "You'll feel much better."

* * *

He remembered Katherine rushing past him. He grasped her arm, pulling her back to him.

"Katerina, what is wrong?" Elijah asked.

But the moment he saw her face, and saw the complete fear in her eyes, he knew.

"What did he do?" he growled.

Katerina rushed into Elijah's arms making him jump in surprise as she dug her face into his chest whimpering. She desperately tried to drown away the horrors she had seen. His initial anger melted away, but the concern was still there.

"What did Niklaus do to you?" he asked again.

Katerina shook her head, "He-he didn't do anything."

"Then why're you shaking?"

She froze, her arms suddenly rigid around him.

"I…" she said in a barely audible voice. "I saw him."

"And?"

"At first, I thought he was having indiscretions with another woman and I was prepared to intrude, but then…" she gulped. "I… I saw him bite her neck…"

Elijah stiffened. _She knows._

"There was so much blood…and his eyes…oh his eyes were so red, and she was screaming. Oh Elijah, she was screaming so much!"

She smothered his face back into his chest, sobbing at the remembrance of the awful scene. Her fingers tightly gripped his clothes.

Elijah lifted his hand and brushed her ruffled hair away from her perfect face. Tears were still strewn over her cheeks, and he hated Niklaus for frightening her. Taking his thumb, he wiped her tears away gently. She then placed her hand over his.

Elijah paused.

There was a bruise on the side of her hand where little droplets of blood were clotting around miniscule cuts. Elijah's throat began to feel parched as if he hadn't fed in centuries. The small drum of her veins pulsating ricocheted in his ears as he stared hungrily down at them.

_**BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. **_

"Oh," Katerina pulled her hand away. "I-I fell while I was running away. Clumsy me, I suppose."

But Elijah didn't respond, his eyes were still firmly fixated on her hand as she gingerly rubbed it.

_**BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP.**_

"Elijah?" she called again.

But he didn't hear a thing. Just the perfect red and blue veins under her perfect white skin.

_Elijah…Elijah…Elijah…_

His name seemed to echo in an endless abyss, but her blood seemed timeless. The elixir to his very existence, the holy grail of all eternity, and all he had to do was have a taste.

_**BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP.**_

Katerina took a step back pulling Elijah back from his daze. Her eyes were wide and her mouth agape as she took another.

"Katerina, what is wro–"

Elijah felt the tips of his canines' push against his bottom lip and the veins under his eyes surge ravenously.

_Oh no. _

"Wait, Katerina, I can explain!" he exclaimed.

But it was too late, Katerina dashed away in a mad fright leaving him alone in the hallway. Even as his teeth retracted and the veins under his eyes disappear, he could still feel the insatiable desire to feed on her.

_**BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP. BA-BUMP.**_

He ran after her.

* * *

"I was fifteen when it happened," she started. "I was living with my adopted parents at the time, and we moved around a lot, so I didn't have a lot of friends."

Jackson looked back her with understanding and willed her to go on, but Hayley wasn't sure she even could. She turned her eyes away to stare out the window to steer far from knowing eyes that seemed to pry at her.

The sun had already set, so only the moon lighted up the blue and black sky outside. Her eyes searched sadly past the window, looking for fragments of a past she didn't want to talk about.

"But the longest I ever stayed in one area was almost a full year," she continued. "I came in the middle of the fall and lasted till almost the end of the summer."

"I had these friends. I know, _shocker_," she laughed half-heartedly. "These two friends that stuck it out with me the whole year. They weren't exactly the greatest crowd to be around, we had cigarettes and alcohol almost every night. But they were mine, y'know. They were my family more than the one I was adopted into."

Hayley's hands began to shake uncontrollably, so she squeezed them between her thighs. But she struggled suppress the tears that were beginning to well-up in her eyes. She shook her head defiantly as if it would fight off the tears that desperately wanted to fall.

"We used to hang out on one of my friend's boats," she managed to say. "It wasn't anything too fancy. Just an old crabbing boat that his grandpa used to use. Whenever we'd go out to drink, we'd drive it out to the middle of the lake and share a couple bottles of liquor and a cigarette."

She caught her breath, feeling the shakiness in her voice as she tried to compose herself. She closed her eyes, her lashes pushing the tears down her cheeks. It was as if she could see it happening all over again:

The worst night of her life.

"It was a boating accident," she said. "And I was really drunk. Somehow I managed to get to the steering wheel and start the engine…before my friends even realized what I had done, the boat was already veering forward. And…and they tried to stop me, I remember, they had their hands on the wheel…everything just happened so fast and before I knew it, we had crashed into the dock."

She paused. She tried really hard to hold back the tears, but she couldn't help it. She placed her hands over her face and wept as she continued to speak.

"And my friend's body crashed through the window…and he was just sprawled over the hood of the boat and I didn't know what to do, but I was so scared. I was so scared," she cried. "I jumped out of the boat and managed to find my way to the nearest house and tell them what happened, but it was too late, my friend was dead."

She began to sob uncontrollably, rubbing her hands roughly against her face, trying to wipe away the relentless guilt she wore.

"I swear I didn't mean to kill him," she wept. "I swear; it was a boating accident. We were drunk. It was a boating accident, an honest mistake…"

Memories of seeing the disappointment and disgust on her parents and her friends' parents face plagued her mind. Their scrutiny stabbing her incessantly with blame. It was her fault their kid was dead. It was all her fault. She was negligent and naïve. She couldn't even face her other friend that survived, not when their friend was still dead. And after her first transformation, a night full of utter confusion, pain, and agony, she was cast away as a freak and a monster.

So she ran. She ran as fast as she could, and she never looked back.

She felt a hand tug at her arm. She peaked through her fingers to see that it was Jackson. He was bent down on one knee, looking at her with concern.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he assured her. "It's okay. You don't have to say anything more."

Hayley sniffled miserably before resting her hands back down on her lap before Jackson grasped them in his and rubbed them soothingly.

"It's okay," he repeated. "It's okay."

* * *

It was finally dark. After hours of hiding in the back of an ambulance truck, he could finally take a step outside. Even after feeding relentlessly over countless bags of blood, his mind still pounded mercilessly.

_**BUM! BUM! BUM! BUM! **_his head beat.

But he needed to see her. He needed to see her now.

He pushed past the brush of a leafy bush, he could see her sitting on a bench with another woman. One sniff and he could tell she was human. He could hear her little heart beating weakly inside her chest, working tirelessly to pump blood into her veins.

Blood…he needed more of it. He needed more of it now.

He stepped forward and blonde vampire's eyes immediately averted to his direction. She stood up and pushed the woman behind her, and hissed, fangs protruded and eyes fiery red.

_**BUM! BUM! BUM! BUM!**_

Daniel emerged from the bushes all bloodied and bruised. His skin was now a sickish pale grey and thin. He looked worse than he did when he was human. Blood stains covered the whole front of his shirt and dripped down to his chin.

Once he stood under the lamp light, Caroline paused.

"Daniel?" she said.

_**BUM! BUM! BUM! BUM!**_

"You did this to me," he grunted angrily, his teeth barred. "_You_ did this to me!"

"I don't understand?" she said confused. "What's wrong with you? Why do you look like…that?"

"One moment, I was as healthy horse and then the next moment, I'm choking out blood!" he cried. "And now I have this craving for blood all the time!"

"Blood…" she said under her breath. Caroline's eyes grew wide. "Oh no…you're a vampire!"

_**BUM! BUM! BUM! BUM!**_

Daniel didn't respond, instead he had his hands on his temples, scratching at the sides of his head. Caroline turned back to her mom in horror and then back at Daniel who was bending over gasping for air.

Caroline rushed towards him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, grasping his shoulders.

_**BUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUM…**_

"Make it stop!" he cried. "Please make that damn noise stop!"

"What noise? I don't hear anything?"

_**BUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUM…**_

"Oh please just make it stop!" he wailed into the sky.

_**BUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUM…**_

"Daniel, there's nothing!"

His vision was going red and everything seemed to blur into one. His thoughts felt scattered as if he couldn't get a grasp of this reality. And the more he tried to claw the beating from his head, the louder it boomed in his ears. He wanted to scream louder, but he knew he wouldn't be able to hear himself.

_**BUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUM…**_

His droopy eyes moved away from her blue ones and stared daringly at the frightened woman on the bench.

One thing remained certain in the chaos that raged in his mind: he was hungry.

He lurched forward, shoving Caroline aside.

Liz screamed.

* * *

It was midnight by the time he found her sitting under the cherry trees in the garden, leaves littered at her feet and rips at the ends of her dress. She was sobbing profusely and breathing heavily.

As he took a step forward, she immediately jumped up from her seat, clutching a sharpened branch.

Elijah emerged from the darkness, his hands raised as he walked towards her slowly. Her hands shook uncontrollably as she watched him make every step. The moon's dim light illuminated the fear in her eyes as she stared back at him.

"Don't take another step forward," Katerina said bravely. "I'm warning you."

"Is that a threat, Miss Katerina?" Elijah asked slightly amused.

She scowled at him. "Don't ridicule me, my Lord. I know what I saw and I know what you are."

"I never said I didn't believe you. I know what you saw," he said calmly. "So now what?"

Katerina stood up straight, grasping the stick more confidently.

"I'm leaving," she stated. "I'm taking a carriage and I'm getting out of here."

"And where will you go?" he asked.

"Away from you," she spat.

"I'm afraid you won't make it very far, Miss Katerina," he said.

Elijah took a step forward again and grasped the tip of the stick firmly. She flinched back and tried to pull the stick away from him, but he held on before easily plucking it from her hands.

Katerina gasped and shoved him roughly, but Elijah grabbed her arms. She pounded his chest with her fists in defiance until he shook her.

"Don't you see," he exclaimed. "We're vampires, Katerina! We're faster and stronger at everything. Even if you managed to get away from me and get a carriage out of the castle, it would only be a matter of hours until Niklaus captures you."

"But why me?" she cried. "Why must I stay?"

"It's because you're the doppelganger."

"What…" she said breathlessly.

He looked down at her regretfully, her brown eyes showing the confusion and fear she felt. Of course, she didn't know. She was a victim to something she had no control over. In the end she was helpless, left with no choice but be used at his brother's disposal. He pitied her, so weak and naïve.

"You're the doppelganger Niklaus needs to break his curse," he said again. "He's going to use you as a sacrifice."

Katerina's eyes grew even wider at his words, her mouth agape in shock.

"Sacrifice," she whispered under her breath.

Elijah nodded.

"He's going to…kill me…"

Elijah nodded again.

"I'm going to die…"

Katerina's arms fell to her side helplessly. She lowered her eyes and tried to stifle her tears while her body shook uncontrollably.

Elijah lifted her chin to face him, her eyes refusing to meet his.

"Katerina," he spoke. "I don't wish this fate upon you."

Her eyes narrowed as she scowled.

"But if that were true, you never would've invited me to stay. You never would've introduced me to your brother."

She freed her chin her grasp and glared back at him with an unfamiliar ferocity.

"True," he said. "But that was before I got to know you."

"But what's changed, Elijah?" she pushed. "You know who I am now and yet I'm still going to fall victim to your brother's schemes."

"I'm in love with you, that's what's changed," he said.

Elijah paused. _What did he just say?_

"What…" Katerina said barely over a whisper.

He stared back her dumbfounded and flabbergasted, his cool demeanor stripped. He wet his lips nervously.

"I…Miss Katerina…"

"You're in love with me."

It was more like a statement than a question, but she just wanted to hear him say it one more time to make sure she knew what she heard.

He went to say something, but the words slipped through his tongue and he remained speechless. He sighed as he stared back at her, and then she knew.

She moved towards him hesitantly, one step at a time, until there was only a foot between them, her eyes never leaving his.

She stared back at him squarely and said in a firm voice, "If what you say is honest, that you really love me, my Lord…You will do whatever you can to assure my safety."

He could sense a tinge of demand in her words as if she were going to manipulate his feelings for her to save herself. But he pushed those thoughts aside. Not Katerina. Not sweet, innocent Katerina. She would never do that.

"I have," he explained. "I have been to see the witches and they believe they may have found a way to save the doppelganger."

Katerina let out a breath of relief.

"I'm relieved to hear that," she managed to say.

He ran his finger over her cheek, brushing away a loose curl from her face and looked at her longingly.

"I will never have my brother harm you," he mumbled. "Never."

Katerina lightly pressed the tips of her fingers on his perfectly sculpted jawline and ran her finger over its edges. He was beautiful she had to admit, like the princes renowned in stories. It was like a fairytale: a handsome prince falling for a poor woman. But this one was far darker than any story she ever heard.

She inched closer.

"So now what," she whispered, her face dangerously close to his.

"I will tell Niklaus of the witches' discovery and spare your life," he said.

His attention was fixed on her pink lips and the way she hesitantly bit them as she stared back at his.

"And then what."

Katerina could see the dark veins from before appear under his eyes again. The same hungry look that wished only to consume every ounce of her.

She inched even closer.

"You'll be saved."

She was only centimeters away now.

But she took a deep breath and said, "Good."

She closed the gap and pressed her lips over his feeling the soft firmness of his lips. She kissed him uncertainly until she felt his lips part and his tongue sneak a way into her mouth. She gasped at his boldness, but moaned when his hands were pressed against the side of her face, deepening the kiss.

This was no fairytale story. If she didn't play her cards right, she could end up dead.

* * *

Klaus charged through the door of his home moving swiftly to the dining room area where Elijah casually sat drinking a glass of wine. Just as Klaus swung open the windowed doors, Elijah cocked an eyebrow to his brother and looked at him unsurprised.

"Welcome home, brother," he said half-heartedly. "I presume today's affairs went well."

Klaus scowled.

"I am no mood for your sarcasm, Elijah," Klaus growled as he fumbled to pour himself a drink. "On the contrary, things did go fairly well."

"So the human faction has agreed to the terms?"

"_My_ terms," he corrected. "Yes, they have. Where's Rebekah?"

"I'm here, Nik," Rebekah grumbled from behind. "No need to yell."

"And just where have you been?" he asked skeptically.

"Oh stop being so suspicious, Nik," Rebekah frowned. "I was out for a walk. Being imprisoned here is cutting my lifespan in half. If I wanted to die, I would've staked myself sooner."

Klaus rolled his eyes.

"And what of Hayley? Where is she?"

"She's still in the bayou doing their dog trials with her fiancé."

Elijah cringed uncomfortably.

Klaus downed the rest of his drink before setting it down on the dining table restlessly.

"We have a problem on our hands," he said.

"A handful of humans are hardly a problem," the older Mikaelson mused.

"They aren't," Klaus snapped. "But I was ambushed while I was leaving. I'm afraid there's another human faction targeting us."

"Is that so."

"Yes, it appears so," Klaus rubbed his temples. "They call themselves _The Council_."

"Not exactly the cleverest name I've heard. They're probably nothing more than a bunch of rowdy, wannabe vampire slayers," Rebekah scoffed. "Have you already forgotten Mystic Falls?"

"No, this one's different, bigger even," Klaus said gravely. "They're supposed to be the leading faction of all the councils that oversee the whereabouts of vampires and their extermination."

"_Extermination_," Elijah said dubiously. "And after living for a thousand years, this is the first time we hear of this-this elusive group?"

"My thoughts exactly," Klaus said as he began to walk back-and-forth. "The information I was given was rather vague in telling. All I know is that they're supposedly the master ring leader in all the council affairs."

"That's ridiculous," Rebekah scoffed. "I have never heard such a thing before."

"Besides," Elijah added. "We have more pressing matters now; Rebekah's body switch, Kol's witch, Hayley's wedding, and our big brother's eternal damnation. At this time, humans are the least of our problems."

"I agree, but we can't stand idly by while they plot our _extermination_," Klaus grumbled as he thumbed his chin as he thought. "It's a hassle, but I can have someone look into it for the time being while we deal–"

Klaus paused when he heard the creak of the wooden door open from the main entrance. He eyed his siblings and motioned them to follow him. They looked at each other together before following after him. They moved out of the dining room and it wasn't until they had reached the courtyard that Rebekah could finally hear the heavy breathing of someone at the gate. When they stood squarely in front of the entrance, they froze.

"Kol?" Rebekah gasped.

Kol was leaned against the wall, hunched over. His skin was sickly yellow and red rims lined his eyes. Fresh blood slowly oozed from his nostrils, overlapping the dried up blood under. His heavy eyes looked up at them with loss hope, before he collapsed to the ground.

"Kol!" Rebekah yelped.

She ran towards him and rested his head on her lap. Elijah and Klaus joined her, looking down at him in confusion.

"What's wrong with him?" Elijah asked.

Klaus knelt down next to his sister and studied Kol's body. He pressed his fingers against his wrist to feel his brother's pulse. Weak. He turned it over where a symbol was engraved in his skin: a twisted triangle with a circle that touched every point.

"Nik," Rebekah asked. "Nik, what's wrong with him? What is it?"

Klaus turned the symbol to her and clasped her hand over her mouth.

"He's been hexed."

* * *

_Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip._

Small droplets of blood began to spot the cement in front of Liz's toes. She sat frozen in shock staring at the strange man who tried to kill her. His brown eyes stared at her in fear even though moments ago they were red with thirst. She could hear his struggled breaths as he tried not to choke up in tears and pain.

He mouthed "I'm sorry" before his heart was wrenched out from behind him.

Liz jumped as his body hit the ground. Stefan stood directly behind the man with his heart in his right hand. He tossed it aside and wiped his hand on black pants.

"Thank god, we made it here just in time!" a brunette came running towards them.

Caroline looked towards her two friends in shock, "Elena…Stefan…"

Stefan bent down towards Liz and checked for any injuries.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes," she nodded. "Thanks."

He smiled before moving to Caroline and Elena.

"I'm glad you guys are safe." Elena hugged Caroline. "I was so worried we wouldn't make it to you in time."

As Elena pulled away she looked at Caroline concerned.

"Caroline?" Stefan asked.

"What…" the blonde paused. "What happened to him…I thought…"

"Caroline," Elena began. "Your blood…killed him."

"But…he was doing so well yesterday and…"

"I know, I thought so too, but when I came back to his room–"

"My blood did this," Caroline said as she looked back Daniel.

"Caroline, it's okay," Elena said. "We'll find something else to help your mom. This was just a mistake. It's not your fault."

"But it is my fault!" Caroline cried. "I gave him my blood and now he's dead, and–" Caroline froze, her eyes wide. She quickly turned to her mom. "No…"

"What Caroline, what's wrong?" Elena asked.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no."

"Hey." Stefan grasped Caroline's arm and she looked up at him. "What's wrong?"

She looked away shamefully and tried to swallow her tears, but she still couldn't bring herself to tell them.

Liz stepped forward. Elena and Stefan glanced back at her. She held out her hand to reveal and empty vial with red tint on the inside.

In a lowered voice she said, "She gave me her blood."

* * *

They had been walking in the dark tunnel for what seemed like hours. It was cold and wet inside, and the air was heavy. Jeremy's torch was at the brink of burning out for the third time before they finally began to see a faint light ahead. Matt and Jeremy looked at each other before hurrying forward.

As they neared the light source, the further down it went until they were standing in front of a locked door. Matt moved his torch closer to the door as he felt the edges, feeling for a trigger or lever of some sort, but there was only a lock.

"A door, huh, that's weird," Matt said.

"What do you suppose it leads to?" Jeremy asked.

Matt shrugged, "Let's find out."

He set his torch against the wall and lay flat on his stomach to peak under the door where the light was seeping from. Jeremy did the same.

"What do you see?" Jeremy asked.

"I don't know. I'm not even sure I can see anything exactly."

It was as if a fog was flowing out from underneath the door while the light blinded them. Matt squinted his eyes more to try to focus his vision. He rubbed his eyes and blinked, but when he opened them he jumped back.

"Holy shit! What the fuck! What the fuck!" Matt yelled.

"What the hell? What is it?" Jeremy joined him.

"Let's get the hell outta here."

Matt grabbed his torch and booked away while Jeremy scrambled after him.

He couldn't believe what he had seen. He wasn't even entirely sure what he saw was really what was there, but it frightened him. It frightened him to the core and made his bones grind against each other, it made his nerves shake and his throat grow coarse.

All he knew was that whatever was locked away behind that door was alive and staring right back at him…

* * *

**Yes, yes I'm back...ish. I think. I'm not sure. I keep saying I'm back and then I go through long breaks between chapters. But I'd really like to think that I'm back it, especially with all this new Klaroline news for a crossover finally!**

**I'll have you guys know that this is the longest chapter I've written for Hallucinations. I feel like I've said that every single time I've updated...they literally just get longer and longer every time. Maybe that's why it takes me so long to update nowadays? That and the fact that I'm busy applying for colleges. Fun fact about the author (me): I"m applying for UCLA and UCI and UW to pursue a degree in creative writing. I'd like to get into UCLA since I know they have a Film and Television program that I'd like to be in since I want to be a screenwriter, but it's really tough to get in, especially if you're from out of state... but fingers crossed! **

**Anyways...**

**So I know I didn't include a Klaroline moment...I know... don't hate me... it literally could've been the least I could do since I haven't updated in so long, but I couldn't find a good way to integrate it into the story without it feeling out of place, so maybe next chapter? But I did include Kalijah moments if that compensates for something? I know it seems like Katerina is super innocent and sweet in the beginning, but I wanted to introduce her manipulative side when she kisses Elijah. I know. Don't hate me. But I'd like to think that Katerina discovered her allure and badassness when she was first faced with death by the Mikaelson brothers, so I thought I'd include a little something-something. **

**I also decided to include a backstory for Hayley and Jackson. In TO season 2 they talked about how they had to tell each other stuff in a cabin with herbs, but they never actually showed what they said which is kind of a bummer because that would've been the perfect time to build up a history and some sympathy for these random characters. So BAM! I gave them each a back story, trust me, there will be more.**

**I know a lot of people were against the whole Caroline giving her mom her blood, but it had to happen... otherwise Caroline would continue to search for cure for her mom when we all know, none exist. In the end, we can all agree that at some point or another, Caroline was going to give Liz vampire blood eventually. **

**Lastly, I'd just like to apologize for my absence. I know I have a duty to my readers, to my otp, and to this story to do them justice and I intend to do just that. I have everything planned out, I just don't have the time. I might have to resort to posting once a month, but I'll make it happen. I really want to get this story out there and I don't want to disappoint. So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I promise to post more!**

**Until next time!**

**P.S. I'm going to be in that Klaroline video they're making! I presented my Klaroline phonecase that I customized myself, so keep an eye out for that!**

**READ. REVIEW. SHARE. **

Chapter Question: What do you think is behind that locked door?

**follow me on twitter/tumblr for updates klarophant**


End file.
